Once Upon A Lifetime
by Callisto Star
Summary: *FINALE* What happens when Mirai's time machine breaks down in some unknown part of the past? How does he get by? And what will happen when he meets the Tsuki no Hime? Foundations of Titanic, but the rest is mine! R
1. Reflections & Goodbyes

A/N: Ohayo minna-chan!!!!! This was my first-ever posted fic called "SMS Selenity".  
  
Since then, it's gone through a lot of revisions (including a new title), but its roots are the same.  
  
  
  
The fic begins in Usagi's time in the SILVER MILLENNIUM. Got that? In other words, she is still Princess Serenity (nicknamed Usagi) and living on the moon. In Trunks's view, he's PREPARING to head back in time to warn Goku, etc. I'll repeat that for any confused readers out there: Trunks has NOT battled with Cell yet. He has NOT even met Goku, Vegeta, and the others yet. He is PREPARING for the journey. I hope I made that clear enough.  
  
About "Titanic": I am not obsessed with the movie or anything. I saw it about...once. uno. 1. But I thought it was a wonderful tale about love (I admit- I cried when the ship sunk & everyone died). A light bulb turned on inside my head one day, and I decided to write a fic about it, modifying it for SM & DBZ. There are some similar parts, and the general idea, but that is all. Most of it is my creativity at work. I wasn't originally planning to kill Trunks, but now... who knows? ::grins evilly::  
  
Sorry, my lawyer just reminded me of this (problem is, I don't have one. Hmmm...) DISCLAIMER: I do no own Dragonball Z or Sailor Moon, they both belong to some big corporations with lots of money. The Jack+Rose story of Titanic belongs to whatever the movie company was that produced it and whoever wrote the script, etc. The tale of Romeo and Juliet belongs to the legendary Shakespeare. So, in other words, the only thing I really have claim to is my creativity. And HA! You can't take that from me!!!! And you can't copy my story cause I said so and cause I typed this weird copy-righted symbol on my computer: Â© So you can't copy cause I can type letters with circles. Wow.  
  
Ok, I am officially insane. *Please* REVIEW!!! Sorry for this long AN. "..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. Enjoy the ride!  
  
  
  
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Once Upon A Lifetime  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
Princess Serenity gazed out the open window, down upon the beautiful Earth, shining with a morning dew. She knew she should be happy, but instead she felt somehow empty. Once again, her thoughts drifted back to the arranged marriage that was ominously hanging over her.  
  
Her best friends, the Princesses of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, had unanimously agreed (upon seeing Endymion only once) that he was *the one* for Usagi. But Usagi could not help but realize that her friends usually judged by looks. Yes, Endymion was handsome enough [A/N: Who is she kidding? Sorry Mamoru fans], and yet he seemed to be lacking... something.  
  
Her friends were fortunate enough not to have entered this business of arranged marriages yet. Queen Serenity, like the princesses, insisted that Endymion was the man for her daughter, being the prince of Earth and all. She had explained to her daughter that having a kingdom so near would lessen the pain of always being together. But sometimes Serenity wondered if her mother was just a bit biased about long-distance relationships; after all, she had married her childhood love, Solaris of the Sun, and unfortunately, things hadn't worked out for the two to always be together.  
  
Usagi was now 18. Queen Serenity had already been married a year at that age, and insisted it was time for her daughter to do the same. Her mother had traveled with her to Earth to meet with the royal family and Endymion.  
  
  
  
"He has cold eyes," she had told her mother. The Queen only smiled and shook her head. "You're just imagining it, Bunny. But cold eyes or no, you'll learn to love him." Usagi had disagreed, but her mother was deaf to her complaints.  
  
  
  
'And yet,' thought Usagi as she gazed longingly past the garden and few fields to the glistening ocean, 'perhaps there is someone else out there waiting, always waiting...'  
  
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Trunks climbed into his time capsule in the future. Bulma had an anxious look on her face. "Are you sure you wanna do this? You could be hurt!"  
  
"I'll be fine, mom. I've gotta warn Goku and the others of the androids. I can't let their future be destroyed as well."  
  
Bulma wrung her hands in worry. "Oh yes, but . . . "  
  
"Wish me luck!"  
  
"Oh good luck... you'll need it. Mind you, be careful with this early model. And be sure to eat your vita-caps. And don't be mean to the other boys. And--"  
  
"Don't worry about me, mom, I can take care of myself. But you stay clear of the androids. I'll be back before you know it."  
  
"Ok, ok. Be good. And come back soon. Goodbye, son!" Bulma cried with a worried face as the hatch closed with Trunks inside. He pushed some buttons, turned the time dial to PAST, and pushed the red button that began his journey. He waved as his capsule began to rise and glow. In the instant Bulma blinked, there was a flash of light and Trunks was gone.  
  
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Sailor Pluto cautiously stood her ground by the time gate. There was someone, something, approaching rapidly. She couldn't see the intruder due to the mist, but she was prepared to attack the instant she caught sight of her foe. He was closer, closer, closer. She couldn't see him, where was he?  
  
"Reveal yourself!" she demanded. There was no reply and he showed no sign of slowing. His energy shot past her, but still she could see no foe and the enemy dissolved in the Time Warp. Pluto knew there was nothing else to do: He was heading toward the past, toward her Queen. She must follow. With a sweep of her staff, she opened the Time Gate and leapt into the void . . . following.  
  
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With another flash of light, Trunks appeared somewhere else. He could tell immediately that the time machine had worked.  
  
But something was wrong. He had definitely gone back in time, but the question was, how far? He couldn't sense Goku, Vegeta or any of the Z fighters' energy anywhere.  
  
He looked down on the scene. It was nothing like his mother's description of Earth 20 years ago. Where were the tall buildings, skyscrapers, trucks, cars, and busy people? The port city below was mostly clay buildings and houses cut from the sides of cliffs. Had he somehow ended up in Southwest USA, in the days of the Pueblo Indians? But that was impossible. Since when did Native Americans have shops with signs that proclaimed Spare Spacecraft parts at the lowest prices or Hover Boards: Buy One, Get One Free! It seemed that in this dimension, the past and the future had mixed to form this odd combination.  
  
Suddenly the capsule gave a sickening grumble and the engine began to whine. [AN: You knew it would happen ^^;; ] The equipment seemed on the edge of malfunctioning and crashing.  
  
"Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please..." muttered Trunks as he attempted to ease the craft down to the ground. But the machine would not cooperate. With a groan it leaned forward and suddenly stopped working altogether. With a cry, Trunks felt himself plummeting to the earth. Without wasting a second, he kicked open the hatch and flew to safety, just in time to watch his time machine crash into the side of one of the shops. What would he do now? He was lost and stranded, somewhere in time...  
  
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AN: ::Calli-chan peers down at cliffie:: Ooo!! Fun fun!  
  
Don't worry, I don't leave you stranded often. Please review! Ja ne! 


	2. A New Life

A/N: Don't be too alarmed by the setting of this chapter. It is not something out of "Star Wars".  
  
And with that, I must go into the disclaimer before letting you go: I do not own DBZ, SM, Titanic, or Romeo and Juliet. I am a FAN and this is a FANfic. Great logic, huh? I would also like to note that I have made it clear that I don't own these so to save typing time I might not put disclaimers on my future chapters. So there, you can't sue me! Why am I wasting your time, you need to read!  
  
"..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. Enjoy and remember to review!!!  
  
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Trunks surveyed the scene with despair. His time machine had smashed into the side of a shop, and it looked like it was beyond repair. He was stranded in the past! He flew down to see what he could save from the wreckage as the shop owner came out screaming.  
  
  
  
"What do you think you are doing, punk? Trying to destroy my shop?! You see that wall, there? You almost put a hole right through it! Scared all my customers away, you did! I can't do business with people like you around. Honestly, young people these days, they have no respect--"  
  
"Um, excuse me, sir," Trunks interrupted. "It was a complete accident. You see, I'm a stranger in this land, and--"  
  
The anger from the native's face was suddenly erased and replaced with a welcoming smile as he cut in, "Oh, of course, forgive me. Watashi wa Mitoki, the owner of this shop. It's just that, between shoplifting and destruction, my temper is getting shorter with young people, even if it isn't their fault. Are you perhaps traveling on the Selenity?"  
  
  
  
"Arigato, demo I think this was mostly my fault, if anyone's. Watashi wa Trunks. I don't know what you mean by 'the Selenity'; I am from another part of... um... Earth." (He was relieved to see that the man, Mitoki, didn't find this odd, so he must still be on his home planet.) "I used my machine to... um... teleport, yeah, and I ended up here where it malfunctioned and crashed." He was also glad that Mitoki nodded and seemed to understand the word 'teleport', so perhaps in this time they did have high enough technology that Trunks would be able to fix his time machine.  
  
  
  
Trunks reached down into the wreckage and found that the machine wasn't as badly damaged as he had feared. The controls definitely needed work, as did the hatch, but overall, he guessed that repair was possible (although it would take a long time) with the right parts. He found the button on the outside and pushed. The time machine popped back into its capsule and Trunks put it away.  
  
  
  
"This needs a lot of work, so it looks like I'll be stranded here for awhile, " he said, standing and addressing Mitoki. "Know a place where I can stay?"  
  
  
  
Mitoki looked at him closely. "Actually... I do," he replied. "I am in desperate need of help in my shop and you look like you could do the job. [he eyed Trunk's muscles] Would you like to work for me? Living quarters are on the second floor, there's a spare bedroom you can use. Food cost are on me. You'll get paid every week. Perhaps with money you'll be able to buy the parts you need to fix your machine. What do you say?"  
  
  
  
Trunks didn't need to think twice. "Hai, it's a deal!" he cried, shaking Mitoki's hand.  
  
  
  
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Weeks and months passed. Mitoki became like the father Trunks never knew. The shop-owner had become very close to the strange lavander-haired boy and often secretly gave Trunks more food than bargained for, or even hiding little tips of money or scrap metal in his room.  
  
Trunks was happy. He had found a great friend. The job wasn't hard- it was mostly running the shop and making deliveries. Although he missed his home in the future, he couldn't help loving this little port town, where for the first time in his life, there was no danger of androids. Yet Trunks was steadily buying more and more parts with the money he earned to return to the future. He could be seen late into the night attempting to fix the machine, bit by bit...  
  
  
  
As for the date, Trunks was still unsure. When he had first asked Mitoki, the man replied, "This is 999, the Year of Pluto. Let us celebrate, for the millennial Year of the Moon fast approaches!" Trunks was very confused and asked whether it was 999 A.D. or B.C. This caused Mitoki confusion and he replied, "We live during the Silver Millennium, if that is what you mean." Still having a million questions in his head, Trunks nodded and years were never discussed again between the two.  
  
  
  
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It was the middle of spring. The sun was shining and birds were singing. Throughout the port city, gardens bloomed and trees blossomed. Trunks was indeed in a wonderful mood when he returned from a delivery. He called into the shop to tell Mitoki about an amazing ship he'd seen in the harbor, but his voice became lost in his throat at a glance in the shop. The shelves were empty. Boxes scattered the floor, most closed and full. The cash register was empty and awaiting packing. Suddenly, the curtain was pulled aside from behind the counter and Mitoki stepped out, carrying two more boxes.  
  
  
  
"Mitoki, what is all this?" asked Trunks, perplexed.  
  
  
  
Mitoki set down the boxes. "Ah, my boy, sit down. I have something to tell you." Trunks sat on a nearby box and stared. "My brother cam several weeks ago while you were on a delivery. I had not seen him since he left many years ago to sail the seas of space. I never knew what had become of him- until now. He had promised before he left, years ago, that one day when his thirst for adventure was quenched, he would find the perfect spot for a space shop among the stars. We would run it together and be famous, and..." He trailed off. "He finally returned. I can stay here no longer. I am deep in debt, Trunks, and need a new life. My brother bought me a ticket upon the Selenity." Trunks gasped; that was the name of the ship he had seen in the harbor. "When she sets sail tomorrow, I will be with her. That is why I had the huge clearance sale last week- to sell all I could. You may have whatever you wish of what I cannot bring along. The Duke of Wilder has bought this shop and will take over that day after I leave. He may be very different from I, but please treat him with the same respect you show me. I will miss you very much, but--"  
  
  
  
Trunks smirked and interrupted, "So you really think you can get rid of me that easily."  
  
  
  
"Gomen, Trunks, but there are no tickets left. There weren't many to begin with, as it is the Queen's vessel. And it will be a very long trip and--"  
  
  
  
"So I will loose my only friend and hope in this new world to a boat. Thanks for the comparison."  
  
  
  
"Oh, gomen nasi! I knew this would be tough. If only..."  
  
  
  
A ring cut through his thoughts. The communicator- a mix of a telephone and a walkie talkie (probably like a cell phone)- was making the noise. Mitoki picked it up from the counter. "Moshi moshi?"  
  
  
  
"Hello Mitoki. How have you been?"  
  
  
  
"Warren! Long time, no see. I've been better. Not to be rude, but is your call of utmost urgency? Cause I'm kinda busy..."  
  
  
  
"Well yes. I need to confirm your ticket for the Selenity. You board tomorrow, sometime after sunset, with the Third class group, correct?"  
  
  
  
"Hai. Precisely."  
  
  
  
"Well, arigato. There was a huge mix up with tickets, and we were all given the duty of calling everyone who bought one to try to find and correct the error. No luck yet. And there's more trouble. The Selenity's crew is running low; many of the sailors went on a diplomatic mission and won't return for a long time. The captain has been desperately looking for new recruits that will be quick to learn, but he's had no luck yet either. He's so desperate now he was roaming the streets earlier, pulling aside and begging anyone who looked strong enough to help. I reckon he'll even hire someone without a background check, interview, or anything now. I mean, after all, the Selenity is the Queen's ship..."  
  
  
  
"Warren, you are a beacon of hope!" interupted Mitoki. "Bless you! Domo arigato! Good luck with the tickets. And goodbye for now."  
  
  
  
Mitoki put the communicator down on the counter and quickly hurried over to Trunks. "At last! We have found the solution to your problem- in a mere call. We must hasten to the dock immediately!"  
  
  
  
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This chapter is probably the slowest of them all. Please review. After all, "Reviews are the ink for the author's pen." So keep em coming! Ja ne!  
  
~Calli-chan  
  
P.S. If you want to be notified of updates, email me at callistostar786@hotmail.com 


	3. First Glance

A/N: I will be using a few sailing terms in here. Anything completely out of the ordinary gets its own AN. Now, onto the fic!!! R & R. Enjoy.  
  
  
  
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Indeed, Warren's call had been a beacon of hope and a shining solution. With only a glance at Trunks, the captain immediately gave him the job. Mitoki was almost jumping with happiness since he would not have to depart from his young friend so soon after all.  
  
The captain gave Trunks some information ("You won't have working hours as long as the seasoned sailors for awhile. You'll start with simpler tasks and therefore, probably have more free time. Oh, and we're out of uniforms so just wear whatever you have."), instructions ("Be back here by, at latest, noon tomorrow. We must prepare for the Queen's boarding at sunset."), and sent them on their way. Trunks was glad something was finally going right in this new world and headed back to the shop with Mitoki to finish packing.  
  
  
  
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At noon the next day, Trunks was back on the dock. He was led to the beautiful ship not far away. It was pure white, with gold lettering shining on its side - S.M.S. Selenity. [AN: I'm not sure if this will ever get explained in the actual fic, but the S.M.S. stands for Silver Moon (Kingdom) Spaceship.] He could tell immediately that she was not a seafaring ship. She was about 10 times larger, and, he noticed, hovering several feet above the surface of the water. No, she sailed upon the endless seas of space.  
  
Trunks was led through a side door and given a tour of the ship: from bow to stern, deck to baggage, port to starboard.  
  
Then came the chores. He was assigned to clean the entire deck with a mop. Considering its size, his fellow crewmates were quite surprised when he finished in a half hour. Next, Trunks was assigned to load all the baggage waiting on the dock into the baggage area in the bottom of the ship. People watched wide eyed as Trunks lifted and carried huge piles of belongings and luggage inside the Selenity. Later he was scolded for "not being gentle with such valuable materials."  
  
  
  
In a short while he had finished this and all his other tasks. The sun was low in the sky. It was almost time.  
  
  
  
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It had been 6 months since Usagi [AN: Yes, we're finally back to her POV] had first met Endymion. They were closer, and yet so distant. Usagi felt that she could never love him.  
  
At sunset tonight, she would be boarding the Selenity again. Yet, she feared that this journey might be more than just a tour of the Silver Moon Kingdom and Empire. Endymion was coming, and she dreaded that it was not just for pleasure.  
  
'Oh Selene,' she prayed to her ancestor and Goddess of the Moon, 'help me!'  
  
  
  
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The sun was slowly sinking behind the shining waters of the ocean, leaving its trail of colors in the sky. Mitoki was waiting excitedly in the crowd around the Selenity. 'Just a few more minutes,' he thought, 'and I'll see her: the Queen of the Moon! Here! Now!' He shivered in anticipation.  
  
  
  
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Trunks was waiting breathlessly on the ramp [AN: Ack! I cant remember what its called! Its that ramp that leads up to a ship for peeps to board] of the ship. The crew had been ordered to line the ramp for the Queen's boarding. Trunks didn't exactly understand what all the fuss was about, but he could sense that something was about to happen. Something strange and unexpected that he didn't want to miss.  
  
  
  
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Usagi had left the Earthen castle. She sighed. 'So it begins again,' she thought, as the heralds went forward, carving a path through the crowd.  
  
  
  
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Trunks suddenly stood bolt upright. [AN: Again, whatsitcalled? You know- when you suddenly straighten up. Well, that's what just happened.] He sensed two very strong power levels coming closer each minute. One could almost rival his own. The other far surpassed everyone's here, including his own. He wondered how humans could be so strong. Or were they human?  
  
[NOTE: He's actually sensing the power from the crystals since he can't sense Lunarian kis. And he's comparing it to the level he's at now, not SSJ. I don't want to get in in the middle of the DBZ/SM: "Who's Stronger?" feud, so I will just say they are "different". Read my profile if you want more.]  
  
  
  
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The Princess of the Moon was unaware of the cheering crowd that surrounded her. She followed in her mother's wake, with Endymion at her side. Her smile had become fixed, and her mind wandered. What it would have been like to be a princess of any planet besides the Moon, like her senshi that followed behind her (all but Pluto). Or like anyone of her court, who followed behind them. Or even what it would be like to be someone in the crowd, without a worry for royal duties. She sighed again. 'When will I be free?' she wondered.  
  
The procession continued. Past the castle, through the crowd, onto the dock, through more crowd, up the ramp (with the scarlet carpet rolled out, of course), passed the sailors, and...  
  
  
  
  
  
It happened very suddenly. So suddenly that only two people even realized that anything occurred at all. Serenity turned and caught sight of Trunks as she passed him. In an instant, a sudden spark of invisible energy passed between them: unseen, but not unfelt. It was like de ja vou. Each knew that they knew the other, but how? In an instant, it passed. But the effects were harder to shake off. Trunks stared wide eyed after the tenshi, as she was inconspicuously pulled along by Endymion.  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks watched her disappear into the hall below the deck before he moved. The passengers were boarding. Trunks saw Mitoki go through a side door.  
  
  
  
By twilight, all the passengers had boarded. The ramp had been pulled in, and most of the crew was on deck (others manned the controls). "Take 'er away!" yelled the captain. With a roar and a small jerk, the Selenity rose majestically into the sky (amid cheering and waving from the crowd of onlookers and loved ones below) and shot into space.  
  
  
  
The journey had begun.  
  
  
  
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Yay! Done! You like? REVIEW!!!!!! Seriously, they really keep me going. It's great just to see one more review in there and it makes me :) to hear what peeps think. So PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! 


	4. Tenshis

A/N: Hope everyone likes this fic so far. Keep those reviews coming. Anyway, you're in for a treat with this chapter. I think most peeps will like this the best so far.  
  
Also, [ ] is me, the author, talking. ( ) is some extra info and is in the fic. " " means someone is talking out loud, and ' ' means they're thinking it to themselves. An ellipse (...) usually means someone trails off, in thought or speech. To have the person talking, be interrupted, I'm gonna use 2 dashes (--). Ok, enough of that. Enjoy the fic, and please REVIEW!!!!! Arigato.  
  
  
  
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It was later that night that Usagi's dread became truly real. Her mother had called her to her chambers.  
  
"I have something to exciting to tell you, Bunny," the Queen had said upon her daughter's arrival.  
  
"Please, Mother. Iie, not yet," cried the Princess, fearfully anticipating the answer and attempting to cover her ears.  
  
"Demo Usa-chan, you will be happy with the news. It will happen within the month, if it can be pulled off. But more likely, it will occur near the end of our journey on the Selenity."  
  
"W-What will occur, kaasan?" asked Usagi, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Why, your marriage to Endymion, of course."  
  
"No, Mother, no!" cried Usagi desperately. "Please, have mercy!"  
  
"I don't understand what's wrong, Bunny,"  
  
Usagi knew her mother couldn't understand, but she desperately attempted to exaggerate any possible flaw. "His eyes, Mother, have you seen his eyes! Though his face may be warm, his eyes are frosty and tell the truth! He doesn't wish to marry for love, he wishes to marry for the glories of being King!"  
  
"Now Serenity! You've gone far enough. I'll have none of this nonsense. Endymion loves you very much; he clearly told me so just last night. And after the wonderful hospitality of the Earthen Royal Family!? You should be ashamed of yourself, young lady!"  
  
"But kaasan...!" cried Usagi.  
  
"No, that's enough! You will marry Endymion before our journey is through and that's final. I want to hear no more about 'cold eyes' and no love. Go, now, stop crying, and think about what you've said!"  
  
Usagi ran, sobbing, out of the room.  
  
  
  
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She wandered aimlessly for awhile. Her mind had long since become a blur. Her feet guided her zombie body, searching for some safe refuge from a merciless world. But in the end, they only led her back up to the now deserted deck.  
  
In a daze, she walked to the very stem, [AN: It's the very front of a ship where the railings meet in a point, and that's straight from a diagram in the encyclopedia. ^^;; ] collapsed and hung limply over the rail, sobbing and crying her heart out. Riverlets of tears streamed down her cheeks.  
  
  
  
After a few minutes, she calmed down. Looking down below her, she could see shining stars all around. [AN: They're in space, remember?] 'Yes,' she thought, 'there is only one solution . . . I cannot live with a husband who wants only power. I cannot marry someone who doesn't love me. . . '  
  
'I must eliminate myself. . . It would be so simple- I just jump. The force field wouldn't stop me; it only protects us from the outside. Perhaps I would float through space for awhile, but I wouldn't last until morning. Whether from the lack of oxygen or the extremes in temperature, I would be gone. . . Gone and free. This is the solution,' she decided, and climbed up the railing.  
  
  
  
She paused, took a deep breath . . . and jumped.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Trunks had just been released from his duties. He rubbed his sore muscles: even after all his years of training, it still hurt to spend 5 hours straight scrubbing and cleaning and shining hundreds of dishes until they were sparkling clean. He fancied spending some time on the deck, just gazing at the vast sea of stars and constellations that, through all of his childhood, he had never seen so clearly.  
  
Just as he stepped onto the deck, he saw her. The Tenshi. She was standing there, on the highest rail at the stem, looking down below her. She was beautiful, Trunks decided again. Her pure white gown and golden hair swayed with a slight breeze. She looked just like an angel, minus the wings. He sighed a sigh of content.  
  
  
  
Suddenly, she disappeared over the railing. Trunks didn't think about what would happen it someone saw him. He forgot about hiding his ki and not flying or powering up or fighting. He forgot the Saiyins were the only and greatest enemy of the Moon Kingdom. He only knew that he had to save the tenshi before it was too late.  
  
He quickly powered-up and flew over the railing. He had to save her... before she fell beyond the protection of the force field that held in gravity, constant temperature, and life-giving oxygen. She would be at the mercy of the void if she passed beyond there, and perhaps Trunks would not be able to reach her in time.  
  
Below the huge ship, it was not difficult to spot pure white against pure black darkness. She was almost beyond the field and in deadly emptiness of space! Trunks quickly increased, and without a moment to spare, caught the tenshi in his arms.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
The moment Usagi jumped, she began to regret it. Was she really ready for death? After all, 18 years is a short life. She closed her eyes and saw pictures of her mother and friends mourning over her. She saw the Moon Kingdom in its glory, and then falling to ruins in the Queen's depression.  
  
Tears were streaming down her face, even as she fell. Despite the cruelty of Endymion, she wasn't ready for this. 'There are people who really love me,' she realized. [AN: Sound familiar, Hotaru fans?] Yet, she couldn't stop now. Any second she would break through the force field and be blasted with icy cold, oxygen-less air. She was not ready for death. "Help me," she weakly cried.  
  
  
  
It was as if her prayer was answered. A pair of strong arms suddenly caught her, and she felt herself slowly drifting upwards. This was not her Angel of Death, this was her Angel of Life! She desperately clung to the shirt of her savior, as if it were the only thing between her and losing consciousness, and sobbed into it.  
  
In a few moments, she felt the feet of her savior reach solid ground, and she promptly fainted completely.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Trunks looked down at the tenshi in his arms. Even with a tear- streaked and flustered face, she was still very beautiful. She had lost consciousness after he reached the deck.  
  
His shirt was wet with her tears, but he didn't care. He stood there, holding her in his arms, dreaming that the impossible might be possible: that she could be his tenshi, his princess.  
  
  
  
'I've really fallen for her then, haven't I,' he realized. But for one of the first times in this new world, he wasn't troubled. He didn't worry about what would happen or how he could get back to the future. She seemed to generate a certain peace that calmed him and made him know that everything would turn out fine. Trunks wasn't sure that this was true or not, but he didn't care; for once, he wasn't focused on the past or the future, but only the present. Every moment was a treasure now.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Trunks had no idea how long he stood there, but eventually she stirred. He walked over to a nearby bench and reluctantly set her down. After a moment, her eyes flickered open. Trunks remembered those beautiful, crystalline blue eyes from when he had first seen her. Slowly, she became more aware.  
  
  
  
"Wh-where am-- Who are you?" she asked, gradually becoming more alert. "Wait, I've seen you before. You're that sailor..."  
  
"Hai," replied Trunks, sitting down beside her. "Watashi wa Trunks. Princess, are you alright? I came onto the deck and saw you fall off the railing and..."  
  
"I jumped, "she sighed. "Thank you for saving me." It didn't occur to her until later to ask how he had saved her. She looked up at him. "And please... call me Usagi. I wish to be as normal as possible, and yet I am always addressed with long titles that could reach from here to Pluto. Why can they not understand? In casual occasions, titles are not necessary. It is horrible."  
  
"Usagi?" asked Trunks slowly. "Why did you, well, umm--"  
  
"Jump?" Usagi interrupted. "Well, let's just say, my life is falling to pieces. I was hoping that death would free me. I realized too late that I wasn't ready for it."  
  
"Can I help at all with your problem?"  
  
"Iie, I doubt anyone would really understand."  
  
"Try me. I haven't had an easy life myself. When I was only a year old, evil machines called androids invaded my world. My father and all his friends were killed by the androids who took amusement in their destruction. Every day more people would disappear. We were never safe. Just a few years ago, my greatest friend and teacher was ruthlessly murdered by the monsters. I only just escaped." Trunks surprised himself. His mouth had run away with him. And he almost had to bite his tongue so that he wouldn't say that he was Saiyin. What was going on?  
  
"I'm so sorry for you and your friends and your world," replied Usagi, bringing him back to reality. "I really am. I wish there were something I could do to help. But my problem does not concern life and death; mine concerns love. How can I be forced to marry a man I don't love? How can I marry a man who doesn't love me and only loves the power I would give him through marriage. But my kaasan is deaf to this." Usagi suddenly realized what she was saying. "Oh, gomen nasi, I shouldn't be saying this to you. Forgive me, I must go. Farewell!"  
  
Serenity stood quickly, and with her white gown and golden hair streaming out behind her, she fled.  
  
"Usagi!" called Trunks, but she was gone. Like a bird, she had flown out of his grasp. Like a tenshi. His tenshi? "Goodnight, Princess. I hope that fate will bring us together again soon."  
  
  
  
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AN: You like? REVIEW! Thanx. Those reviews really do keep me writing & typing. And thanks to those loyal reviewers who come back for every new chapter. And if you hated this, go ahead and flame, but please be nice about it and tell me what I did wrong. Thank you everyone, I appreciate it. Ja ne!  
  
~Calli-chan 


	5. The Locket and the Conspiracy

A/N: Domo arigato to those who reviewed (EVERYONE!), and those who have followed this fic from the beginning. Thanks to everyone who has offers pointers and tips, they help. Thank you for the ideas, and even those that don't work in this fic could be very useful in making a sequel. Domo arigato minna-chan!  
  
"..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted, and that's about it. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit weird at parts. ^^;;  
  
  
  
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Trunks was roused the next morning by a crew member. He felt cold and stiff. He was still on the deck, having slept on the bench where he had talked to the tenshi.  
  
Although space has no day or night, the force field around the Selenity was also designed to simulate the atmosphere of a planet such as Earth, complete with changing light and weather. This morning Trunks woke to find his clothes damp from a slight morning dew. He wondered if everything from last night had been a dream, but he didn't have time to brood over this- he was needed below deck.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Usagi was woken in her elegant suite by a knock at the door. She turned the other way in her bed of white silk and tried to return to the realm of sleep.  
  
Another knock sounded and she became fully awake. It took only a moment for all the events of the night before to come flooding back- the news, the jump, the fall, the savior. That lavender haired boy- what was his name? Oh yes, Trunks. Why had she been so open with him? The other other person she was (or used to be) truly open with was her mother.  
  
And yet, it was almost as if she couldn't control it. She had gotten the impression that he might have said more than he meant to as well. The thought was chased out of her head as another knock sounded. This time her mother's voice accompanied it. "Serenity, please open up. I'd like to talk to you."  
  
  
  
Usagi reluctantly climbed out of bed and opened one of the huge golden doors. Her mother entered and they sat down beside each other on the bed.  
  
"Usagi-chan first of all, I came to apologize. I'm very sorry for my rashness last night. I lost control. Forgive me. I love you Usagi, and only want the best for you."  
  
"I love you too, Mom. And it's alright, even you can't always be perfect."  
  
The Queen smiled. "I'll try to make a deal with you, Bunny. I am still convinced that Endymion is the one for you. You two would be perfect together. You both are..." (Usagi gave her a look - she had heard this speech a hundred times already and didn't need to hear it ever again.)  
  
"Demo you definitely disagree with me. So here's the deal: If you can find someone that you truly love, and whom I approve of, before the dawn of the Millennial Year of the Moon, you may marry him instead. But you must ask me for approval before the dawn. This has been put off long enough so now I have set a deadline. The Millennial Year begins in about a month. Before then, you may have the groom of your choice. Otherwise, it will be Endymion, no ifs, ands, or buts!" [AN: Well, you knew there would be something. But it's not as easy as it seems. And she still doesn't think of him as someone she'd marry. Yet. ^^;; ]  
  
  
  
"Thank you kaasan, " said Usagi politely, secretly wondering where she could find the man of her dreams on a ship.  
  
  
  
There was a booming knock at the door. "Enter," said the Queen.  
  
"E-Endymion, " said Usagi as he entered. 'Speak of the devil.'  
  
He turned his piercing gaze towards her. Usagi shuddered. His face seemed to be mocking her. "Please," he said in an attempted friendly voice, "no formalities between us. Call me Mamoru."  
  
"Mamoru." Usagi replied flatly.  
  
"Usagi." Usagi flinched. She hadn't given HIM permission to use her informal name. The Queen stood in the background, smiling happily.  
  
"I have something for you, Usagi." He seemed to be using her name as much as possible; Usagi felt ready to scream.  
  
  
  
Mamoru handed he a strange gold locket. She curiously opened it up.  
  
It was beautiful. There were little moons and stars, moving and glowing. And it was playing her favorite song from the moon. [AN: SM theme, if you didn't catch that. This is the locket that Usa/Mamoru has in the show, and I can't remember exactly what it looks like, so you'll have to be happy with this short description.] She watched and listened, enchanted.  
  
"Th-Thank you so much, Mamoru." She looked up from the locket to stare at him. Her crystalline eyes were strangely clouded over and the pupils had somehow almost disappeared.  
  
Mamoru smirked. It was working! She reached up, kissed him lightly on the cheek, and disappeared through the doors with her mother positively beaming.  
  
  
  
Mamoru stared after her, frowning inwardly. 'What happened?' he thought. 'A kiss on the cheek? That's barely even a kiss! What happened to the rest of it? I guess Beryl's spell didn't work as well as she thought it would. Or perhaps the Princess is stronger than we expected. Hmm...'  
  
  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Usagi walked through the halls, up the steps, and onto the deck, where many passengers were basking in the (simulated) sunlight. She found her friends, the Inners, gathered together at a table, chatting carelessly, with cool drinks in their hands. Each was wearing a casual sundress, with their plant's symbol blazing on their forehead- their mark of royalty. Usagi smiled and sat down in an empty chair beside Minako.  
  
"Hey Usagi," she said in greeting. Then she turned and stared at her. "Why are you still in your formal gown? That was only for the boarding last night and --"  
  
  
  
"Oh yeah. Well, it was a long night," replied Usagi, and without further explanation, she pulled out the Lunar disguise pen. In an flash, she was wearing a silvery dress, similar to that of her friends.  
  
"Oh, you won't believe what happened!" Usagi squealed, leaning into the center of the table to get her friends' attention. [Ah yes, the teenage side of our princess.] They stopped chatting and looked at her.  
  
She took a deep breath, savoring the attention, and then let it all out: "LastnightItriedtojumpofftheboatcauseIwassostressedoutwithallthismarriagebus inesswithEndymionandIjumpedandfellandthiskawaiiguynamedTrunkscaughtme." She paused and took a breath, smiling at her friends' confused faces, and then launched in to more before they could ask: "AndthenthismorningEndymioncameinandcalledmeUsagiwithoutmypermisionandgaveme aprettylocketthingy." Usagi smiled and the Inners sweatdropped. [Helps if you say it out loud- or add spaces back in! ^^;; ]  
  
  
  
"Hold on!" cried Ami, before Usagi could go off again. "What are you talking about? What's a 'pity wok it ding E'?"  
  
Usagi's face turned into a huge grin. "No, no, Ami Genius-girl Mercury. A PR-etty LOCK-et THING-ee. A locket!" Ami sweatdropped as Usagi smiled and held up the golden locket she still had in her hand.  
  
  
  
She slowly opened it and the enchanting music began to play. Her friends "oo"ed and "ah"ed, but their voices were becoming more distant to Usagi. She was drifting away . . . . . . . . . Iie, not again! . . . . . . . . drifting . . . . . . . . . stop!!! . . . . . . . . . . . drifting . . . . . . . . . . . . NO!!!  
  
But it was too late; Usagi was already lost within herself. Her friends didn't seem to notice the difference. But if they had stared into her eyes, they would have realized that once again they were glazed over and blank, and their princess was now little more than a beautiful zombie.  
  
  
  
"Mamoru," muttered Usagi, "Mamoru."  
  
Her friends looked up, alarmed.  
  
"I love Mamoru." she said, a bit louder. "Mamoru, Mamoru. I. Love. Mamoru."  
  
  
  
"Usagi, snap out of it!" cried Rei.  
  
"Wake up, stop chanting!" cried a desperate Makoto. "What's wrong with her, Ami?"  
  
  
  
"Mamoru."  
  
"I'm trying to figure it out," said a worried Ami as she typed furiously. "But everything seems to be normal, except how she's acting."  
  
  
  
"Mamoru. I love Mamoru."  
  
  
  
"I don't get it," said Minako. "One minute she hates him, and the next she can say nothing but his name."  
  
"It's as though she were under a spell," said Rei.  
  
  
  
"Mamoru. Mamoru."  
  
"That's it!" declared Ami.  
  
"What?" asked the other three in unison.  
  
"I love Mamoru."  
  
  
  
"She's under a spell! Quick, close that locket!"  
  
There was a mad dash to get the locket from Usagi, which she still held loosely in her hand. Minako, being the closest, grabbed it and snapped it shut. All the Inner senshi stared towards their leader expectantly, hoping to see her return to normality. But instead...  
  
  
  
"Mamoru....... Mam..or..u....... I...... love...... Mam...or...u."  
  
The chanting only slowed a bit; the Senshi were frantic.  
  
"Why isn't it working?"  
  
"Is there any other way to stop her?"  
  
"That's the only solution I can find!"  
  
"We need to try some kinda counter-spell but I haven't learned anything concerning them from Grandpa yet."  
  
"What are we gonna do? We'll have to tell her mom, and she'll get mad, and we might somehow get in trouble, and that kawaii Endymion might get blamed, [AN: What a shame that would be ::grins evilly::] and Usagi might never talk to us again, that is, if she can ever talk regularly again at all, and--"  
  
  
  
"Usagi!" called a male's voice. The senshi shuddered. It was the man of the hour- Endymion!  
  
  
  
Usagi's chanting speeded up again and she stood. "Mamoru, Mamoru, I love, must see, MAMORU!!!!"  
  
  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Endymion came up onto the deck calling for Usagi. He had just come from his chambers, where he'd secretly told Beryl what had happened through the Black Orb [AN: think of a black crystal ball].  
  
Beryl was able to place a stronger spell on the locket without actually touching it. Endymion knew that Usagi, being who she is, would have opened it to show to her friends and he was curious what effect it had had on her.  
  
He saw her golden odangoes obediently coming to him through the crowd. He smirked and called once more.  
  
  
  
Suddenly the crowd cleared. Where was she? She was gone! He quickly scanned the deck and saw her nowhere in sight. He silently cursed to himself. How could she break free of his control? That spell didn't just wear off!  
  
He was indeed in a foul mood as he headed back to his chambers, to contact Beryl for guidance.  
  
  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Trunks had just come from visiting Mitoki, and telling him about the previous night (without mentioning the tenshi was Princess of the Moon) as he headed up to the deck. He liked the open air much better than the stuffy air below deck and planned on enjoying the view of a starry blue sky before returning to work.  
  
  
  
He was working his way through the crowd when he suddenly saw the Princess heading forward. He was alarmed: Her eyes were blank and she was chanting something. He grabbed her as she passed, concerned that something was wrong.  
  
  
  
"Serenity-hime! Are you alright? Wake up!" he cried as he (gently) shook her. It was as though she melted at his touch. Her eyes slowly returned to normal and she stopped chanting Mamoru's name.  
  
  
  
"Wh-where am I? You! T-Trunks? What-what happened?"  
  
"What's the last thing you remember?"  
  
  
  
"I was... I was opening the locket that Endymion gave me and... Oh that jerk!!!" Usagi suddenly seemed to realize what had happened. "Come with me," she said, grabbing Trunks's hand and pulling him along.  
  
  
  
  
  
She walked around the corner to where her friends sat anxiously waiting.  
  
  
  
"Are-are you okay, Usagi?" Rei asked cautiously.  
  
"What did that baka do to me?" she demanded.  
  
"Chanting," answered Ami. "You were endlessly chanting his name: Mamoru, Mamoru, I love Mamoru. I'm sure it would have been worse if you were with him--"  
  
"Like we were afraid you were," cut in Makoto.  
  
"Well, I'm okay now."  
  
"What happened?" asked a curious Minako.  
  
"Well... I was walking along in a trance and Trunks stopped me and suddenly the spell wore off."  
  
"It wore off? What do you mean?" asked Makoto.  
  
"Well, one minute I was in a trance, and the next I was normal again. It must have a time limit or something."  
  
Ami didn't say anything; she just sat there, deep in thought.  
  
"Well, we're glad you're okay now,"said Rei.  
  
  
  
"So, who is this?" asked Minako with a smile, as she prepared to begin flirting.  
  
"This is Trunks, the guy I 'told' you about," replied Usagi. Trunks stepped forward, and the Princesses almost immediately began fixing their gowns and checking their makeup and hair before Usagi introduced them.  
  
"Trunks," said Usagi, turning to him, "These are my best friends and fellow Princesses: Ami of Mercury, Minako of Venus, Rei of Mars, and Makoto of Jupiter." She gestured to each one in turn, and they all flashed a beautiful smile and nodded. Minako was practically drooling.  
  
  
  
"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintances, Princesses," replied Trunks in a formal tone.  
  
Makoto giggled. "P-leaze!" she said, "Use our informal names. It makes me feel all snobbish with everyone calling me 'Princess' and all on a casual trip such as this."  
  
"Yeah, casual," muttered Usagi.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh nothing."  
  
Their endless chit-chat began again. Trunks felt as though he couldn't take anymore; plus, he needed to report for duty soon. "If you will excuse me," he interrupted, "I must go. It was a pleasure meeting all of you. Farewell."  
  
  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Rei made sure he was completely gone before speaking. "Usagi, not that I have anything against Trunks (or his looks for that matter; he is SO HOT!), but aren't you engaged to someone else?"  
  
  
  
"Oh Rei," said Usagi, plopping herself down in a free chair, "you think I'm flirting, don't you? No, he's just a nice guy I met."  
  
"Well then, if he's available, I'll be happy to take him!" interrupted Minako, before Ami silenced her.  
  
Usagi smiled slightly. "But anyway, the whole Endymion thing isn't final. Mother came to me this morning and said that if I could find my soulmate before the Millennial Celebrations, then I would be spared from having to marry that creep. But I don't know how I can find that special someone with the limited 'resources' of a ship."  
  
  
  
"You speak of Mamoru as though he were an evil beast," pouted Rei, sounding hurt. (Usagi had reason to believe that she had a crush on him.)  
  
"I think he is," replied Usagi.  
  
"Oh come on, Usa. He's not that bad," said Makoto.  
  
"He's one amazing hunk (though uncompairable to your new friend)," commented Minako.  
  
"And he's got power," said Makoto.  
  
"And he's smart," said Ami.  
  
"And he's SO gorgeous," said a dreamy Rei.  
  
Usagi sighed. Why were her friends always so supportive of that monster?  
  
  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Endymion was in his chambers, secretly contacting his mistress with the Black Orb. It took a moment, but Beryl's face slowly came into focus in its dark depths.  
  
"What is it now?" she asked with an annoyed look.  
  
"O Queen of the Negaverse," said Endymion, "Ruler of the Darkness, Empress of Evil, and--"  
  
"YES?!?" said Beryl impatiently.  
  
"I fear our plan is failing," continued Endymion, looking down.  
  
"What is wrong now?"  
  
"O Queen, it is the locket. You said that now with the new spell that when she opened it, she would be consumed by its negative energy and be mine... er, ours. You said that once she opened it, her mother would not be able to save her and there was no undoing the spell. She would be under our control forever. You said that, did you not?"  
  
  
  
"Yes... So why is our plan failing? Why are you wasting my time telling me what I said?!?"  
  
"O Queen, something went wrong! She was under our control, I'm sure of it, but then somehow she broke free...--"  
  
  
  
"Impossible! The only way she could do that is..."  
  
"Yes?" asked an eager Endymion.  
  
  
  
"...Is with the touch of her soulmate." [AN: aww... I had to put that in.] "Hmm... this could present a problem."  
  
  
  
"O Queen, how can we attack from within without the Princess in our control?"  
  
"Baka! It is so simple, perhaps too simple for your Earthling mind. We do not attack from within. We move to Plan B: The Selenity is a ship meant for spreading peace, not war. She will not be equipped to face a heavy onslaught of enemies. Therefore, all you will need to do now is keep a watch for this 'soulmate' of hers. When you find him, or anyone you suspect, eliminate him."  
  
  
  
"Demo my Queen, all the Senshi are on board, except the Guardian of Time. They could easily defend the ship. And then there is the Queen and Princess herself. How can we possibly hope to win?"  
  
  
  
"Oh Mamoru," laughed Beryl, "you are so naive. Do you think that I didn't already calculate the Senshi into my plans? I have achieved an alliance with our natural allies against the Lunarians- the Saiyins. Even with all the strength from the Queen and Princess and Senshi, they will be no match for a countless horde of powerful Saiyins. My army is ready and the time is drawing near, Mamoru. Soon the entire universe will be consumed by darkness and we will rule the new and improved Negaverse- together!!!!"  
  
  
  
"May it be done as you say, my Queen and only love."  
  
  
  
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AN: Never liked Mamo-baka. So I made him evil. Mwhaha!!! Don't you love the perks of being an author? ::plays with little dolls to manipulate their lives::  
  
Please review!!!!! The little alert thing is still open if you are interested. Email me at Callistostar786@hotmail.com. Arigato and Ja ne!  
  
~Calli-chan 


	6. The Kiss

AN: I'm a bit obsessed with astronomy, so here's an advanced apology for the motif of the deck and looking up at the stars. "..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. R & R.  
  
  
  
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Usagi was completely oblivious to Endymion's conversation with Beryl. She was also oblivious to that of her friends. She had chatted with them for awhile, mostly about guys and gowns, but her mind slowly drifted away as she began to "space out". [A hobby of mine.]  
  
She spent the rest of the day in a daze, lost in thoughts and wishes, almost like an endless daydream (though it was natural, and not caused by a spell). She wandered the halls almost mechanically and rarely spoke after the earlier conversation.  
  
As the day wore on, the daydream became more of a nightmare and the dreams became that of despair... The more Usagi thought about it, the more she knew (though her mother might not have realized it) that the only man on the ship that could earn her mother's approval was Endymion himself.  
  
  
  
Most people didn't notice the change in the Princess's attitude, but the Inners did. They asked her what was wrong but she only replied saying "It's nothing much. I'm just... thinking," with a far-way look in her eyes.  
  
  
  
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Trunks, too, was having a strange day. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts: memories of the future, dreams of the past, reflections on the present. He spoke little, save an occasional "Yes sir" which even then wasn't very enthusiastic. The real Trunks seemed to be gone, lost in his own world. It was as though he had been replaced with some kind of robot, which looked and sounded exactly like him, and yet was so different.  
  
  
  
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Trunks never truly found himself again until that night. He knew he should be working on his time machine, which he had neglected in the excitement of the previous night. But instead, he was on the deck again, leaning on the rail, staring up and all around at the cosmos before him.  
  
  
  
He stared at its beauty and vastness, and all his problems seemed to be so minuscule and unimportant. He felt like a speck of dust being blown in the wind, or a single grain of sand on the ocean floor. The stars seemed to speak to him, to soothe him, to give him peace. Everything will be all right, they seemed to say. It seemed only fitting, then, as the serenity [peace] engulfed him, that he sensed the Tenshi approaching.  
  
  
  
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Usagi didn't really know why she was heading toward the deck. It was late; she should head to her chambers. But there seemed to be a voice, or . . . something . . . calling her, whispering her name, assuring her that all would be okay. The 'voice' seemed to understand all her problems and it soothed and calmed her. It cleansed her weary soul and aching heart.  
  
  
  
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On the deck, Usagi stood in awe at the vast universe before her. Hundreds and millions and billions of stars twinkled above her like pin pricks in black fabric. She could see galaxies of all shapes and sizes and colors. Distant planets hung low on the horizon. The blue Earth was clear below, complete with continents, clouds, and oceans.  
  
And shining brighter than it all was her home planet, [yes it was considered a planet in mythology] the moon. It was very close. She could almost see (or was it her imagination?) the palace where she had lived and grown up in. And the gardens. And the majestic cities and wonderful people.  
  
A lone tear slid down her cheek. She was homesick. She wouldn't return home for several months- while this journey lasted. And when she did, she would be a bride, no longer a carefree child, and preparing to take her mother's throne. Oh how she longed for those happy days. She wished she could just fly away and escape all her troubles and never return.  
  
'But as Queen, you can not just fly away from responsibility.' She sighed. She was becoming maturer each day. How she wished that she could be a child again, a happy child dancing on the moon. Another tear followed the first.  
  
  
  
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"I thought you'd come," said Trunks, turning. She was beautiful, as he remembered- golden locks shining like the sun, whitish skin and slim, with an almost silvery aura around her.  
  
Usagi looked up, startled, and noticed him for the first time. The sailor, the savior. The strong, well-muscled, lavender haired boy. Trunks, Trunks was his name.  
  
  
  
"Hello again," she said in reply, quickly wiping away her tears and coming to stand beside him. There was an awkward silence.  
  
  
  
"Um, Trunks," Usagi finally continued, "I'd like to thank you and ask you how--"  
  
"Shh..." interrupted Trunks. "Listen!" he said, pointing skyward.  
  
Usagi looked above her again. This time she gazed not toward the moon (no, it held too many memories) but towards the glittering stars. She stood there for a minute or two, silent, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.  
  
  
  
She was just about to ask Trunks what she was listening for when she heard it. Okay, maybe that's not the best way to put it, as there was no sound or noise. She closed her eyes. And yet, she could hear it clearly now. A song in her soul. The wordless song of the stars. There was no music, no sound, no noise, no words. It was more like a feeling.  
  
'Peace, child. Your problems will be solved. Everything will be all right. Peace.' Perhaps those weren't the exact words, [there were none, remember?] but that it how she felt: Peaceful. Calm. Serene.  
  
  
  
She knew that the silence had to be broken eventually. "Trunks?" she asked, mentally pulling him back down to earth with her voice. He looked at her questioningly. "Um, I was wondering... How were you able to save me the other night? I thought I was a goner..."  
  
"Umm..." Trunks was trying to do some fast thinking. What could he tell her? There was a rope, yeah, and he dropped it down and . . . No that wouldn't work. Or . . .  
  
  
  
He stopped as he realized the truth. He could not lie to this tenshi, this beautiful angel standing before him. "I will tell you . . . someday. Until then, I cannot reveal my secret."  
  
  
  
Usagi looked slightly disappointed. "Well, okay. Arigato. Thank you for saving me, no matter how you accomplished it."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Tell me," she asked slowly, her thoughts drifting back to her dilemma, "as a sailor, perhaps you will know this answer, from the list of passengers or something. Besides the Prince of Elysium [sp???], my Senshi, my mother, and myself, are there any others of royal blood on board? And I mean *royal*, not a duke or something."  
  
"There is one."  
  
Usagi was quite surprised. "Tell me, what is this stranger's name?"  
  
"He wishes to remain anonymous."  
  
Usagi was amazed. There was another prince on board? How? When? She'd have to be sure to meet him. [ ^^;; ] "Very well."  
  
  
  
There was a pause. Trunks turned his head heavenward again. "It's so amazing, so beautiful." He turned to look at the tenshi before him. "Just like you." [Aww...]  
  
  
  
Usagi felt a pinkish hue creeping across her cheeks. He was so nice and so sweet, she didn't want to have to hurt him. She didn't want to have to give him her 'speech'.  
  
But she knew she must. She feared he wanted something more than friendship and that would never work out. Here was she, Princess of the Moon, destined to rule the cosmos. But a sailor boy? Though marriage to Endymion would mean her own personal unhappiness, the universe would still prosper under such a king. The horrible truth had been sinking in all day- she'd have to marry Endymion, no matter what.  
  
  
  
Usagi looked at her feet. "Trunks," she said, "I'd like to thank you for everything and anything you have done to help me. I am eternally grateful. But I fear that you will see very little of me from now on. As you know, I am Princess of the Moon, descendent of Selene herself. I am destined to rule the cosmos in peace and unite all galaxies. It is a heavy burden on my back to always have to live my life for others and never for myself. And yet, that is how it must be. For the good of the universe, I am engaged to the Prince of Elysium, and we will be married before this journey is through. I am sorry," she looked up into his clear blue eyes, filled with sadness at her lecture. "I only want the best for... you . . . so . . . . this . . . . . . must . . . . . . . . stop . . . . . . . . . now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."  
  
  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
  
  
Trunks felt so sorry for the tenshi, all through her little speech. He had never realized how much freedom he took for granted (of the little he had). He felt guilty of ever wanting her.  
  
She was an angel, a goddess, completely pure; upon his hands was the blood and horrors of fighting. He was afraid even to touch her, for fear he would hurt the fragile deity before him. Yet in the end, she looked up into his eyes, as he gazed back, lost in the sorrowful crystalline blue depths.  
  
It felt like a magnet was between them, pulling them closer . . . closer. He didn't want to hurt her; he tried to stop, but couldn't. Closer . . . closer . . . . . All other thoughts were wiped from his head. There were mere inches between them . . . centimeters . . . . millimeters . . . . . .  
  
  
  
He slowly came in contact with her soft tender lips. For several moments, time seemed to stand still. He wrapped his arms around her petite waist. The two were lost in a warm embrace, sharing a gentle kiss. Trunks's mind was blank, but one thought kept coming forward in his mind: 'Why does this feel so . . . right?'  
  
  
  
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Looking up. That was the only mistake she made. She had looked up, into those baby blue eyes full of the horrors of his past. If only she hadn't looked up, then she wouldn't have hurt him as much. But she had. She had become almost hypnotized by those haunting and yet beautiful eyes. She saw the same kind of look come over his face as the space between them became less . . . and less.  
  
  
  
She closed her eyes and felt his lips press against hers; she felt her lips press against his. She hadn't meant for it to go this way, she hadn't meant to hurt him. He was so sweet and so gentle. Why did it have to be this way? She felt his arms wrap around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his muscular neck. 'But if it's so wrong, why does it feel so . . . right?'  
  
  
  
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After what seemed like an eternity (but was really only a few moments), they reluctantly broke apart. There was silence as the two stared at each other in shock and wonder and amazement at what had just occurred. Trunks spoke first.  
  
"I- I'm sorry."  
  
"Iie," replied Usagi, "I am the one who should be sorry. I have given you a taste of the forbidden. I didn't mean to hurt you." She sounded frightened about something.  
  
Trunks looked confused. "But--" he began.  
  
"No, I'm sorry," interrupted Usagi. "I must go." She turned and began to leave, but Trunks grabbed her arm. "No! No. I don't want to lose you again." She turned to look up at him, innocence and some fright shining in her clear blue eyes.  
  
  
  
Trunks let go of her arm and sighed. "I am no master of emotions. Everything I have ever known was war and fear and sadness and fighting. We had to fight to survive. There was no time for emotions. When my friend and teacher, Gohan, was killed, I felt lost and cried and thought the world was against me. But I had to move on, to survive. The only other I could really talk to was my mother, Bulma. But now I am in this strange place and dimension and things are different. Ever since I first saw you, I felt something strange, something unexpected, something new. I didn't know exactly how to cope with it. You were beauty, you were grace, you were perfection. You are an angel, a goddess, in this world. I could not let you die, I had to save the tenshi. I wasn't sure of it then, but now . . . I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . I . . . I think I love you."  
  
  
  
There was a awkward pause. Trunks hadn't exactly meant to pour his whole heart out to her, but it was too late now. She turned away to face the stars, and Trunks felt like his heart was about to break into two.  
  
  
  
"I- I think I know what you mean," she said, still looking away. "When I first saw you . . . well, it was so strange. It was as though I knew you . . . somehow. And I knew I had to find out what that feeling was. It felt . . . it felt almost like this was meant to be, like we were meant to be together. I dismissed the whole thought, for I was supposed to be with Endymion. But now . . . I just don't know. I have never liked him; the others have liked him for me. He never seemed to me like he was the one for me, but that is what others believed. I don't know. I have known you for little more than a day, and yet it seems like it has been forever. It seems so perfect. I was scared at first because of that. Because being with you felt so . . . right. Yes, I think . . . I love you, too."  
  
  
  
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There was another pause, much less awkward, as they both digested what they each had confessed. They gazed at each other, with hope and fear, joy and sorrow, amazement and wonder. They pulled together again and shared a tender kiss and embrace. They stood there for what seemed like forever in a day, neither wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of the other's arms.  
  
At length, Trunks pulled apart. "You must go now," he said, "or they will get worried and come looking for you." Usagi nodded.  
  
"Goodnight," she said and promptly fled the scene.  
  
"Sleep well, my tenshi."  
  
  
  
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The two lovers departed, neither noticing a tall figure in the shadows. She brushed a lock of green-streaked hair aside as she watched the lavender-haired boy's retreating form. She had found the intruder, she had found him all right. But she wouldn't say anything, not yet. For the Princess's sake, she would wait. She silently opened a portal behind her and leapt into it, returning to the Time Gates. She would continue watching . . . watching and waiting.  
  
  
  
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AN: YAY! You have no idea how much fun I had writing that chapter! Hope you liked it- Please reveiw!!! Thank you so much!!!  
  
~Calli-chan 


	7. Secret Love

AN: Just for any sick minds out there, Trunks is NOT a painter or artist, so don't expect any of that stuff. ::shakes head at hentais::  
  
Enjoy the fic! "..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. R & R.  
  
  
  
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The minutes soon turned to hours, hours to days, days to weeks. Publicly they pretended not to know each other. How could they, as such a relationship could never be allowed? But privately, their love for each other grew stronger each day. It was becoming unbearable to go for more than a few hours without at least catching sight of each other.  
  
Even just a small hidden smile or a secretive glance from his tenshi caused overwhelming joy to fill Trunks's heart. Usagi was only able to bear Endymion's kisses (though she still had been able to prevent him from catching her lips) by imagining he was her lavender-haired sailor.  
  
  
  
Their rendezvous were most often under the cover of night, in an empty room or out under the stars. Sometimes words were spoken, sometimes they were not. But what counted was to be there with your love. Holding her close. Feeling his love. Being together.  
  
  
  
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Also, Usagi had grown very curious about this anonymous princes business. After asking her mother, the senshi, and even Endymion (and receiving the same answer- "What are you talking about? We are the only ones."), she still wasn't ready to give up.  
  
Instead, she wandered onto the deck and walked up to complete strangers, asking, "Are you of royal blood?" Most, after getting over the initial shock, smiled and answered, "No, Princess, of course not." But then there were those strange ones who replied, "W e l l . . . my mother's uncle's cousin's room mate's father's half-sister's grandson was friends to the King of Earth when they were little."  
  
  
  
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Two or three days passed. Usagi was sure she had asked everyone on the ship! And still, no one had replied "Yes." Well, almost everyone. There was one more person she had yet to ask . . .  
  
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It was later that night. Trunks was on the deck [again], leaning against the rail, a cool breeze blowing gently across his face. Usagi skipped up to him like a child, a huge grin plastered across her face.  
  
"Hello Tru-chan," she said planting a quick kiss on his cheek.  
  
"Hello Usa-chan," replied Trunks, turning to look at her and then gazing back toward the heavens.  
  
"Tru-chan, I have a question for you," said Usagi mischievously.  
  
"Fire away," answered Trunks.  
  
"Ok, then. Are YOU of royal blood??"  
  
Trunks faltered. He hadn't told her, he hadn't told anyone!! "I ... I ... --"  
  
"I knew it!!!" exclaimed a triumphant rabbit. "It was you all along! You didn't want people to know, so you told me that 'he' wished to remain anonymous. Ha! You try to be so mysterious, Tru-chan, but you can't fool me!! One day, I'll learn all your secrets, and you will be mysterious no more!"  
  
'I hope not, Usa-chan,' thought Trunks. 'For the sake of our love, I hope not.'  
  
Usagi leaned on the rail beside him. "So, what planet are you from?"  
  
Trunks didn't answer. Instead he stood up straight, as if trying to hear something. Usagi understood and went silent immediately as he listened. "Someone's coming," he said simply. Indeed, as Usagi listened, she heard it, too- the voices of two men coming around the corner. They couldn't risk being seen together. Not yet.  
  
"Quick, below deck," whispered Trunks.  
  
  
  
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The two quickly slipped through the door and down the passageway. Usagi thought she heard the two voices pass by outside, but Trunks didn't stop. He continued down the corridor, around corners, into a dark hall, and down several flights of steps.  
  
Eventually, he stopped at an old door and opened it, allowing Usagi to enter before him. They entered an old dark chamber. Trunks walked around the room, bringing the old lamps [Think of gas or oil lamps- the kind that you turn a knob on the bottom to light it up.] into life. Usagi sat down comfortably on the old velvet couch. Trunks soon came to join her.  
  
  
  
"Welcome," he said. "This is an old lounge room I found while cleaning the corridor outside. It is no longer used. Comfy, isn't it?"  
  
  
  
"Definitely," agreed Usagi, leaning against the old pillow. "But Tru- chan, you still haven't answered me."  
  
  
  
Trunks sighed and leaned back as well. He had to tell her now. But how much?  
  
"You guessed right," he began. "I am of royal blood. My father was crown prince of . . . . . of a distant planet. He came to Earth when it was destroyed and met my mother."  
  
"Oh!" said Usagi. "So then you're a crown prince, too! I thought so. What planet?"  
  
Trunks wanted to avoid the second question, but he knew it would come.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Call me a prince if you like, but as I said, the planet was destroyed. Demo . . . I believe it still exists in this ti- place, and is . . . disliked by the Moon Kingdom, so I will not say its name."  
  
"Oh," said Usagi, with an obvious hint of disappointment in her voice, not quite understanding what he *had* said.  
  
  
  
  
  
There was a pause, a pause in which Trunks battled with his thoughts and Usagi was simply lost in them. She looked up.  
  
"Must be great to have a dad," she said sadly.  
  
"Nah," replied Trunks, "I never knew him. He was killed by those androids when I was a year old. From what my mom describes him, he was an arrogant, stubborn man who was obsessed with power and strength. That was all that mattered to him. Still . . . I wish I could meet him and prove to him that I am worthy . . . worthy to be called his son."  
  
  
  
"I never really knew my tousan either," said Usagi, a single tear tracing its path along her delicate cheek. "He was King of the Sun Kingdom. My kaasan fell in love with him when she was young and married as soon as she was old enough. She says he was wonderful, with golden hair shining like the Sun and a smile that would light up any room. But he was killed. Murdered- when I was only a small child. There was an attack on his home kingdom on the Sun, and he rushed to their aid. My mom tried to help, but she was too late. They killed him, those horrible brutal Saiyins."  
  
  
  
  
  
Usagi looked up, her face streaked with countless tears. Trunks hugged her close, whispering soothing words, as she cried into his chest. Meanwhile, his mind was racing from what she had just told him. Saiyins robbed this tenshi of her father! They'd pay dearly, as soon as he could lay his hands on them. But that of course was a contradiction. He was one of them! Oh, why did it have to be so confusing?  
  
  
  
"Usa... Usa-chan, it's okay. Try to calm down," he whispered.  
  
The sobs that had racked her body began to subside, and she looked up, gratitude shining in her clear blue eyes. He gently kissed her.  
  
"It's late, you'd better go."  
  
"You're right, Tru-chan."  
  
She got up and was about to leave when she paused, as though she had suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah. Tru-chan, the Millennial Year begins soon. A party, a masquerade ball, is being held to celebrate. It's on the Eve of the New Year, exactly one week from today. Please try to come."  
  
He kissed her again. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."  
  
  
  
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AN: Ok, I know, not the best chapter, but that's what happens from lack of ideas. Hope you enjoyed it and please review. Ja!  
  
~Calli-chan 


	8. Masquarade

AN: Party time!!! Domo arigato to all of you who continue to faithfully follow this fic- you are so cool! You rock! ::hyper Calli-chan does a happy dance::  
  
Erm, yea.  
  
Oh yes!! Gomen nasi AMy for not answering your question before. This fic was originally my first fic on ff.net, but after I got Word and I could make it more legible with spaces (previously, the uploading process would delete all my line breaks and spacing, making it almost impossible to read). Plus I went through and revised a lot, adding more Japanese and changing certain scenes. Hope you like it.  
  
Onto the fic.  
  
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A week had flown by. It was the afternoon before the ball, and Trunks was still as confused as he was a week ago, but now 100 times more nervous.  
  
He understood, of course, what a party was... but what was a masquerade ball? He assumed it was just a fancy name for a party. But what do you do at parties? He had never been to one, as there was never time for celebration while he was growing up. His mother had briefly told him about one once, but the only thing he really understood was that they were meant to be fun. But what is fun? That's something else he had been deprived of growing up.  
  
And what should he wear to this party? He knew that his CC jacket and sword (both of which he hadn't worn since arriving in the past to prevent suspicion) definitely wouldn't cut it and he doubted that his black tank top [You know, the one he had for the battle with Cell. I think he looks kawaii in this so that's what he's been wearing most of the time in my fic, if you were wondering] didn't seem fancy enough. Those were the only clothes he had. He decided it was time to pay another visit to ol' Mitoki and ask a few questions . . . . .  
  
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He knocked on the door to the cabin that, he had learned weeks ago, belonged to the former shop owner. It was in a plain hall below deck, lined with similar cabins and little decoration.  
  
"Come in," came the gruff reply. Trunks opened the door to reveal a room slightly bigger than his own [Remember, he has sailor quarters], with a bed in one corner and a desk in another. Mitoki was currently seated at the desk, too preoccupied writing something to notice his visitor.  
  
After a few moments he turned and let out a squeak of delight. He leapt up and gave Trunks a hearty slap on the back. [You know, kinda like when guys hug each other in greeting- they just slap backs!]  
  
"Trunks, my boy! How have you been? I was beginning to think you had forgotten all about Uncle Mitoki. They must be keeping you very busy."  
  
"Oh yeah, I've been keeping *very* busy."  
  
"Of course. How is your teleporter coming along?"  
  
It took Trunks a minute to realize what he was talking about. Teleporter? Of course, the time machine! He thought of the last time he had glanced at it- rusting away from disuse in the corner of his room.  
  
"Oh... er... great," he lied.  
  
"Wonderful, wonderful. So what brings you to my humble quarters on this beautiful day?"  
  
Memories of Usagi's invitation flashed back into his mind. "Oh, um, it's about this party tonight. I have ... er ... nothing to wear."  
  
"Oh, of course, the Millennial Ball! Hold on." Mitoki disappeared into a closet on the side of the room and reappeared holding a pair of khakis and a nice white shirt. [The kind that goes under a suit jacket.] Trunks was surprised. He'd rarely seen people wear clothes like that in the future.  
  
"Am I supposed to wear . . . that?"  
  
"Well, it's not the greatest outfit for a masquerade," replied Mitoki, "but as it's all either of us has, it'll have to do. I'm wearing a similar thing. This is a never-before-worn outfit; my 5th cousin got them for me for my birthday, but they don't fit and I couldn't return them. But they should fit you."  
  
"Wow, thanks a lot, Mitoki."  
  
"Anytime, Trunks. Anytime."  
  
"I'd better go now; I'm supposed to help clean and decorate the ballroom."  
  
"Leaving so soon? Oh well, I understand. Come back soon, young Trunks, you will always be welcome here." [Wow, I can't believe I wrote that whole thing! Guys worrying about clothes- yeah right!]  
  
Little did Trunks know, as he closed the door and retraced his footsteps down the hall, that he would never be able to fulfill Mitoki's request to "Come back soon" . . .  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Before Trunks knew it, the sun was setting and he was in his cabin. Hands in the pockets of his new pants, he studied himself in the mirror, wondering if he really looked okay.  
  
The clothes had fit perfectly. [How convenient!] He surveyed his reflection, not quite recognizing the lavender-haired 18 year old in the mirror. His CC jacket, sword, and old clothes lay scattered on his cot.  
  
He glanced again at the time machine in the corner. He doubted that he'd be able to fix it at all now. The odd thing was, he didn't really care. If he could spend his life in this time, with Usagi, he'd be happy to leave his horror filled past . . . er... future . . . behind.  
  
He felt a pang of guilt as he thought of Goku and the others. The androids would come and they would not have been warned. Their future would become the same as his past. Everyone would be killed. Gohan would die again.  
  
No, he could not let that happen. He'd have to try to work on the machine later. He left the room, heading upstairs to the ballroom, leaving the time machine in the corner where it would never be touched again. [oooo... more foreshadowing!]  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Usagi stared at herself in her vanity. Her golden locks cascaded untamed down her back. How should she fix her hair? She wanted to look her best - for him. Should she put it in the normal 'odangoes' or should she be . . . different.  
  
'Yes,' she decided as she began braiding her hair down her back, 'tonight I will not be the Lunarian Princess . . . not in the hairstyle at least. Tonight I will simply be a girl . . . in love.'  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
The ballroom looked magnificent. Garlands hung festooned from the walls; silver tinsel and stars hung down from the ceiling. The doors were crystal with silver handles and the ceiling was transparent- made up of thousands of glass hexagons pieced together so that everyone could clearly see the sky beyond.  
  
It was twilight. There was a faint pinkish hue on the western horizon. [Okay sorry, I doubt that there's sunsets in space. Consider it simulated.] The stars began winking into existence like pinpricks in a great navy fabric.  
  
Back in the ballroom, all the passengers were feasting on a spectacular dinner. Queen Serenity of the Moon sat in the center of a long white table on a platform facing the doors. [Think of the setup of a wedding reception.] She looked little different from when she had first boarded: Her silver hair was still in the royal Lunarian hairstyle, her gown was very similar to the traditional gown of the Moon. Her wings were still as white and feathery as before, and she continued to show little aging. The only visible difference was a small mask in her hand that she occasionally held up to her face. It was pure white with tiny silver gems that sparkled in the light.  
  
On her right sat her daughter and the Princesses of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. [That order.] On her left sat Prince Endymion of Elysium and the Princesses of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. There was was an empty seat at the left end of the table reserved for Setsuna, Princess of Pluto.  
  
All the royalty, and mostly everyone in the ballroom, was dressed in some type of costume and enjoying their meal. After the final course, a delicious dessert, the long tables were replaced by a few small round ones near the walls. The table on the royal platform disappeared as well, revealing all of the royalty seated on thrones.  
  
Luna and Artimes, the royal Lunarian felines, soon joined the Queen on either side of her throne. [They had eaten their Fancy Feast in private.] The Princess and Queen of the Moon were seated on yet another platform, a step above the rest. Throughout the night, people could not help but stare at the two, convinced they were angels sent from above. One sailor boy in particular . . . . .  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Trunks got a slight shock when he first arrived. People were walking in in pairs and groups with the most magnificent costumes he had ever seen. 'Of course,' he thought, with a sudden urge to slap himself on the head. 'Masquerade = mask = costume ball!!!'  
  
He looked down at his own clothes- his white button down dress shirt and his tan slacks. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'I feel like I'm wearing a costume, these clothes are so strange to me.' He went inside and chose a seat at the long table along the right wall, as close as he could get to the royal platform (although he was still at least 50 seats away from it.)  
  
The feast was excellent and the food was delicious; even with his Saiyin appetite, he couldn't help but savor every bite. As the table were cleared away, he glanced up at his tenshi. Once again, like every time before, his breath seemed to get caught in his chest. He was sure she must be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  
  
She wore a beautiful long silvery dress, covered with tiny crystals that sparkled as she moved. The delicately thin straps [Spaghetti straps] crossed each other in the open back. Her hair was different, too- a single braid wound down her back and almost swept the floor. But what surprised Trunks the most was her wings. Like her mother, she now had pure white feathery wings on her back. Trunks smiled. She was truly a goddess, a megami, his tenshi of the Moon. Suddenly she turned his way and caught his gaze, returning it with a beaming smile.  
  
[So how was that for a description? Hope it makes sense. If I had a scanner, I'd upload a pic, but I don't so oh well. If you're wondering, the other senshi also have costumes: Ami is a water nymph (Naiad), Minako is a fairy, Rei is a phoenix, Makoto is a dryad (wood nymph), Hotaru is a firefly, and Michiru is a mermaid. I'm not exactly sure what Haruka is but, as usual, she's wearing a suit and she also has her sword. Endymion is in his traditional wear. Blah! That's enough.]  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Twilight soon turned to evening. The moment the dancing began, it seemed that hundreds of young men were drawn, as if by a magnet, to the royal platform. Each bowed and offered his hand to the princess of his choice. Soon the table was cleared, with the exception of the Queen (who was chatting with her feline counselors) and Haruka, the Princess of Uranus (who had declined all her offers and was waiting for Michiru to finish her dance).  
  
Trunks was slightly surprised by the number of invitations Usagi received (and usually politely accepted), but then he realized that he wasn't the only one who stared at her as though she were a tenshi. He was just the lucky one.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Trunks was leaning against the wall, gazing at the dancers or the sky, awaiting his turn, when a group of teenage girls approached (about 13-14 years old). They were giggling, whispering, and smiling at one another. Trunks curiously looked at them when a tall (though still short in Trunks's eyes) curly brown haired girl stepped up.  
  
"Um, hi," she began with giggling in the background. "Um, my name's Rachel. ::giggle giggle:: Um, we . . . *I* . . . was wondering- um, would you please dance with me?"  
  
Trunks was so surprised that he almost began laughing. He was about to refuse, as politely as possible, but then he realized- he'd never danced before. He'd need practice to dance with Usagi.  
  
"K," he replied simply. The giggling reached an all time high, and the brown haired girl- Rachel- grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the dance floor.  
  
He nervously glanced around to see what the other couples were doing, when Rachel firmly grabbed his right hand and placed it on her waist, placing her left hand on his shoulder. She then clasped his other hand with her right and began to sway to the music.  
  
'This isn't so hard,' thought Trunks. Then the rhythm of the music began to change. Rachel immediately fell into a new step. Trunks clumsily tried to follow. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. Or was it... Oh it was no use! It was only Trunks's Saiyin speed that saved him from crushing Rachel's toes several times.  
  
When the music finished, he hastily bowed to Rachel and quickly walked away. That was the first and last time he ever saw that curly brown haired girl and her giggling friends, as they vanished into the crowd of the huge ballroom.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Usagi was finally taking a much needed breather on her throne. Countless men had asked her to dance, and being to kind to refuse, she had accepted . . . and accepted . . . and accepted. Her feet were sore from so many dances. Haruka had finally gone off somewhere- probably to dance with Michiru- and the Queen, too, seemed to have found a partner and was somewhere in the crowd on the dance floor. Minako was on her own throne, also resting for the moment.  
  
Suddenly two men approached. Usagi groaned. It was Endymion and . . . a friend.  
  
"Usagi, Minako," said Endymion as he and his friend stood in front of them. "I'd like you to meet my friend . . . from Earth. Nephlite."  
  
The man beside him bowed low. Usagi could see that he was a handsome young man, with long hair. He offered his hand to Minako. "May I have this dance, Princess?" Minako blushed, smiled, and nodded, and walking down the steps, followed him onto the dance floor.  
  
"Usagi?" asked Endymion, holding his hand out to her. Usagi groaned silently. She knew that this would come. She slowly nodded and walked down the steps, and the two began to dance.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
'Of course it HAD to be a slow song,' thought Usagi, cursing silently again. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Minako in another part of the hall, dancing merrily with Nephlite and laughing at his jokes. She sighed. If only she could be that happy. She put on one of her fake smiles and tried to imagine Endymion as Trunks, but the picture refused to come.  
  
As the music continued, she could hear people commenting on how wonderful they looked together. Usagi just continued to wear her fake smile and kept dancing. She didn't feel wonderful with Endymion, she felt . . . trapped. She wished the song would end and she could be free. As the music finally ended, she tried to return to her throne (with the excuse of needing to rest), but Endymion grabbed her and forced her to dance with him for another song. And another . . . . . and another . . . . . and another.  
  
  
  
As the eighth song drew to a close, Usagi felt weak and sick from too much EE (Endymion Exposure). Minako and Nephlite danced close. The music ended and everyone applauded.  
  
"Wow, I'm having a great time," said Minako as Usagi turned to her. "What about you, Usa?"  
  
"Well, I've been better." She turned to Endymion. "Endymion, I really must --"  
  
Endymion had been staring at her as she spoke to Minako, waiting, as a predator waits for its prey. As she turned, he grabbed her firmly and pounced . . . . . on her lips.  
  
She struggled wildly, trying to break apart, but he was too strong. He had locked his lips against hers and he was trying to force his tongue into her mouth, but she would not yield. Eventually he let her go. She stared at him, with shock mixed with fury and disgust written all over her features. He just smirked.  
  
"I have other business to attend to tonight. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening, Usagi-CHAN." He turned and to leave, and then turned around again, as if remembering something. "Oh and call me Mamoru. Or Mamo-CHAN if you prefer." He smirked and stalked off, disappearing into the crowd.  
  
Usagi stood there for a few moments, shaking with fury. "Mamo-baka," she muttered, before practically running back to her throne, wiping her mouth the whole way.  
  
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WOW!!! 8 typed pages- that's A LOT for me!!!! To make this clear, this chapter begins what I am calling the "Finale Sequence." Everything that happens from now until the end is all during the same night (a lot happens).  
  
Ok, please review this fic, and I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. Thanx. Ja ne!  
  
~Calli-chan Callistostar786@hotmail.com 


	9. Uninvited Guests

AN: ::runs in an begins throwing things out to crowd:: Ohayo everyone! Grab a cream puff, they're quite delicious!  
  
Thank you everyone who reviewed! Just a few notes to certain readers:  
  
star0704: All this time travel stuff is very confusing. There's just so many different ways and theories to look at it. It's kinda hard to explain, but the way I see it, all times are happening at once in different dimensions. So, to put it simply enough, every time a Usagi-hime would fall, there would be a Trunks-kun to catch her. I could go on and on with this topic, but it's still very confusing and I don't really understand it. Nor do I think I ever will.  
  
Katlin Grace: I love your fics! Domo arigato for the review. You guessed some of what's coming up, but unfortunately there's not a happy ending to this fic. After all (still on the topic of time), if Usagi-hime didn't die and wasn't sent to the future, there'd be some kind of paradox and the first enemy to come would destroy it all. That would give Puu a bad day and we don't want that. Gomen!  
  
And to everyone that wants to teach Mamo-baka a lesson: I agree completely!!! Only a few chaps left so I'll see if I can work it in. If not, I'll try to put some bashing in the sequel. I won't go overboard, but some is always fun. ^^;;  
  
Thanks again to all who reviewed and without further delay here's chapter 9!  
  
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Usagi sat down on her throne with a "huff." Rei looked up from the drink she was sipping. "What's up, Usa?"  
  
"Ugh, he disgusts me. That baka! I can't believe he would do that to me! He's worse than I thought!"  
  
"Ok, slow down, Usagi. Start at the beginning. Who?"  
  
"Endymion," replied Usagi with disgust.  
  
"Mamoru?" said Rei. "What did he do?"  
  
"I turned to Minako and that beast grabbed me and kissed me. It was horrible!" Usagi began wiping her lips again. "And then he called me Usa- CHAN. Ugh!!!"  
  
Rei smiled. "He KISSED you? Oh, Usa, you are SO lucky. I think I'd die if he kissed me. Oh, he is SO kawaii. And he called you Usa-chan? Usagi, you're a VERY lucky girl." [I can't believe I just wrote all that!]  
  
  
  
"Are you kidding? He is a monster, a beast, a jerk, and I can't believe my mother wants me to marry him. You can have him if you really want, Rei."  
  
Rei smiled and continued sipping her drink as Usagi stared off into the crowd.  
  
  
  
Rei looked up a few minutes later to see Usagi still staring at the crowd, but with all anger erased from her face and a faint smile lingering on her lips. Rei followed her gaze and saw a lavender-haired young man approaching. [Finally!]  
  
'He looks so familiar,' thought Rei, 'but I just can't figure out from where.'  
  
He walked up to the platform in front of Usagi and bowed low. "May I have the honor of a dance, fair Princess?" he asked.  
  
Usagi smiled. "With pleasure, kind sir, with pleasure." She gracefully descended from the throne, and the two were soon lost somewhere in the crowd.  
  
'I know where I saw him!' thought Rei as she watched them. 'He was the one Usagi introduced to us on the day of the locket incident. He was so polite . . . and SO kawaii. Almost hotter than Mamoru.' [::cough cough:: ALOT hotter than Mamo-baka.] 'But I can't remember anything else about him, not even his name. Hmm . . . I wonder . . . . . . .'  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
"Thank you for coming," said Usagi quietly as they walked.  
  
"I told you I would," replied Trunks.  
  
"Thank you for coming AND thank you for saving me."  
  
"From what?" asked Trunks seriously, turning to look at her.  
  
"Well..." replied Usagi, looking away. "I'll tell you later. Come on, you asked me to dance, so let's dance."  
  
"Um... ok," laughed Trunks nervously as the music began.  
  
Trunks wondered about it afterward, but for some reason dancing with Usagi came much more naturally than dancing with anyone else. He figured it was probably because he wasn't worrying about it- he wasn't thinking much at all. His feet somehow knew the exact steps and moved there perfectly.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Usagi noticed it as well. She thought she would have to get Haruka or Michiru to give Trunks lessons, but he was an excellent dancer. She gracefully followed his every step. She smiled (genuinely) as she noticed couples moving out of the way to watch the two of them dance in perfect unison with each other.  
  
The music ended and everyone applauded. "Come on," Trunks whispered in her ear, "we shouldn't get this much attention. We need to go somewhere quieter and more private."  
  
Usagi nodded and quietly followed him through the crowd and the huge hall to the crystal doors. Quietly, he pushed one open and they slipped out into the night.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
"This will do nicely," said Trunks, walking onto a deserted deck. It was a cool night, and everyone else had remained inside. They walked right up to the stem [AN: Remember? The very tip of the ship at the front.] and leaned against the rail, Trunks wrapping his arm around Usagi to keep her warm.  
  
"I may not have ever told you this before," he began, "but from the first time I saw you, I thought you were a megami, a goddess, or . . . something. The night you fell, I was sure you must be an angel. And tonight . . . well, let's just say simply that you are beautiful beyond words."  
  
Usagi blushed at this statement. "And . . . well . . . I mean... Do all Lunarians look like tenshis, or is it just you?" Usagi blushed even more when he said this.  
  
"Well," she replied, taking his comment as a chance to clarify the myths about the people of the Moon, "normal Lunarians- regular people who happen to live on the Moon- actually don't look any different from the normal people on any other planet- whether it be Earth, Jupiter, Mercury, Pluto, or anywhere. But the royalty . . . You see, we- I am a descendent of Selene, Guardian of the Moon. The royal Lunarians have been called tenshis on more than one occasion. The last stage of Lunarian maturity is the growth of wings. But I . . . (she blushed slightly) . . . these are not my real wings," she continued, gesturing to them. "These are only temporary; at the end of the party they will vanish and become no more than a silvery mist. They were a gift from Helios."  
  
"Helios? Who is Helios?" asked Trunks.  
  
"Helios- or Pegasus- is the Guardian of dreams. He lives in Elysium."  
  
"Elysium - isn't that--"  
  
"Yes," Usagi's face darkened. "Elysium is the home of Endymion." She paused. "It was he you saved me from earlier."  
  
Trunks grabbed her by the shoulders [lightly; he's not abusing her or anything!] and turned her to face him. "What did he do to you, Usa-chan?" Usagi looked toward the ground. "Usagi!" Trunks held her chin in his hand and lifted her face up. "What did he do to you?" he asked again, softly.  
  
"I . . . I . . ." He let go of her as she broke down into tears and collapsed against his chest. "Oh, Trunks, it was horrible! He made me dance with him, dance with his until I thought I would pass out from exhaustion, and then I-I turned around for a moment and he . . . he pounced on me like I was his prey. He kissed me, Tru-chan, but it was like the kiss of evil, the kiss of hate, or something. It was horrible, Tru-chan, horrible!"  
  
  
  
Trunks now had his arms around her and she was sobbing freely into his chest. "There, there. I'm sorry," comforted Trunks.  
  
"No, no, it's okay," said Usagi, trying to compose herself.  
  
"Look up," said Trunks simply.  
  
"Wh--" began Usagi, though obeying and looking into his eyes.  
  
  
  
She was interrupted as Trunks leaned down and gently kissed her tender lips. After getting over the initial surprise, Usagi would have smiled but instead kissed him back. Deeper and deeper. Usagi thought she was seeing all the galaxies at once. They stood their for countless moments, in each other's arms, until they broke apart gasping for air.  
  
"Did that successfully wash away Endymion's filth?" asked Trunks with a smirk.  
  
"Well, I suppose so," panted Usagi, "but only my lungs would say no to another."  
  
Trunks laughed. "Then I will give your lungs a rest before we do that again. The stars are beautiful tonight." He turned to look at her again. "But none are as beautiful as my tenshi." Usagi blushed yet again and turned her gaze toward the endless cosmos.  
  
  
  
The moments passed. Abruptly, Usagi spoke. "If only I truly could just fly away." Trunks stared at her, confused. "I mean, these wings are only temporary and I don't even know if I could really fly with them. But . . . I wish I could just fly away from all my problems."  
  
She turned to Trunks. "I mean, I forgot up till tonight, but a month ago I made an agreement with my mother that I had up until tomorrow's dawn to find my true love. And I have found him, Tru-chan; I have found you. But I was- am so afraid . . . afraid that she- my mother- won't approve, and she would force me to stop seeing you. And I wouldn't be able to bear that, Tru-chan. Now that I have found you, I can't go back to the life I live before . . . alone. But I . . . You are a prince, Tru-chan, that is in your favor. But you are so mysterious and there is so much about you that I don't know . . . I'm afraid, Tru-chan, afraid I'll be forced to be alone again . . . Or worse, with that beast that calls himself Endymion."  
  
Trunks wrapped his arms around her from behind, and she clasped his hands together in her own. [A hug from behind.]  
  
"Oh, Usa-chan, I'm so sorry. I never knew."  
  
"It's all right, Tru-chan. We'll just have to tell her and hope for the best . . . tonight, before the dawn."  
  
"Yes, yes of course. But let us just wait . . . a little longer," said Trunks fearing the time when his secrets would be revealed.  
  
  
  
"You always wanted to fly, didn't you?" said Trunks after a moment's pause.  
  
"Yes, I always did."  
  
"Well, step up on the rail, stretch your arms out, and close your eyes," instructed Trunks. Usagi obeyed with a smile, and Trunks stepped up from behind her to prevent her from falling. [Titanic theme playing softly in the background.]  
  
"Feel the wind across your face?" Trunks whispered in her ear. Usagi smiled more in reply. "Feel yourself floating and your body leaving the ground? That's what flying feels like. Or the closest to flying you'll ever do without actually flying. Believe me, I know. I-I was given this ability . . . this gift . . . to be able to fly." [Well... he was taught.]  
  
Usagi was about to reply, but suddenly there was a huge explosion from above and the entire ship shook. The two were thrown off the rail; Trunks managed to stay on his feet and caught his tenshi. There was harsh laughter from above, and a gruff voice rang out. "We thought we'd drop in for the party."  
  
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::gasps and mock-faint:: OH NO!!! There is a fight in the next chapter if you were wondering. And no, they did not just hit a talking iceberg/asteroid. Sorry it's a cliff, but I think it's my first for this fic. Please REVIEW this chapter!!! Thanks alot. Ja ne! 


	10. Who am I

AN: Thank you for the reviews, I'm so glad you like it! "..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. Enjoy! R & R.  
  
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Trunks looked up. High above the ship and past the force field, were at least 20 spiky black haired Saiyins, all with their arms crossed [Veggie style] and glaring down on them. Trunks bent down and whispered in Usagi's ear. "Usa-chan, this might get nasty. Don't draw attention to yourself, I don't want you to get hurt. I'll take care of this." He began rolling up his sleeves.  
  
"But Tru-chan," replied a frightened Usagi, "what about you?"  
  
"I'll be fine. And remember Usa-chan, no matter what happens, Ai shiteru and will always love you, always and forever.  
  
Usagi nodded. "I will always love you, too, Tru-chan." Trunks kissed her lightly and then powered up [not yet SSJ] and flew up to meet the invaders.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
"Well, well, well..." said the biggest Saiyin (Trunks thought he must be the leader) as Trunks flew past the protection of the force field. "What a surprise - pretty boy can fly!" The Saiyins began laughing again, a harsh evil laugh that made Trunks clench his fists and wish to start the battle. But he managed to keep calm.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?"  
  
The Saiyins stopped laughing (for a moment), and the 'leader' answered. "Hmm... I wonder. Maybe since we have tails and spiky hair, we just might be SAIYINS, the sworn enemies of Moon brats since time began. But who are you, kid? I didn't know Moon brats could fly."  
  
Trunks clenched his fists tighter at this insolence. "They're not 'Moon brats', they're Lunarians. And if you try to hurt them, you'll meet your doom."  
  
"Yeah, ok, whatever kid. Learn to count. There's 20 of us and one of you. Now get out of the way, unless you wanna get blasted along with the field on this ship."  
  
[AN: I guess I better explain this now. There's basically two main parts to this 'force field', as I've been calling it. There's the protection shield- this can be destroyed and the ship would loose its main defense. And there's the 'life essentials' part that cannot be broken unless the ship blows up. It's kinda hard to understand, but that's how it works cause *I* said so. Anyway, back to the fic.]  
  
The first few Saiyins closest to the ship, quickly formed their energy into ki blasts and began throwing them at the ship. Trunks screamed. His haired flew up and flashed gold as his eyes turned a haunting blue.  
  
He flew with incredible speed and knocked all the blasts out of the way. The Saiyins just stared at him in awe and shock. Trunks smirked. "You can't say I didn't warn you."  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Usagi nervously watched the whole scene below. Amazed, she saw Trunks fly, but not flying as she would have usually thought of it- he was wingless. She watched with her head tilted upward, as he conversed with the intruders. Her heart was beating fast and every second she prayed that he would be okay.  
  
Suddenly she heard screams around her. She brought her head down, and for the first time, noticed that people had been cautiously exiting the ballroom in pairs and groups, wondering what caused the explosion. People were screaming and pointing upwards. As they screamed, more and more people poured out of the ballroom, wondering what was going on.  
  
Usagi saw Haruka run out and push her way to the front of the crowd. She heard her take a sharp intake of breath and mutter, "Saiyins." This caused Usagi's heart to beat faster, but she stayed alone by the stem. She looked upwards again. Now it was her turn for a sharp intake of breath. Trunks- his beautiful lavender hair was . . . gone. Instead, now he was . . . gold . . .  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
"Who- who are you?" asked one of the now quaking Saiyins.  
  
"His power level is past a million and still rising," someone muttered.  
  
"Impossible," said another. "He's not even a Saiyin. Is he?"  
  
Trunks smirked again. "You can call me a Super Saiyin," he said mockingly. The invaders gasped and stepped back, some seeming to search for an escape route.  
  
"But that's not all," continued Trunks, catching their attention again. "I am also son of Vegeta, the last prince of the Saiyins." The Saiyins' eyes grew wider, if that was possible. "And . . . I am your doom!"  
  
"Enough!" said the leader, gathering as much courage as he could muster. "A Super Saiyin is just a legend. And Prince Vegeta [of that day] isn't old enough to have a son yet. Let's show him where he belongs!"  
  
And with that, he aimed his hardest kick at Trunks's face. Trunks barely blinked. He held up a hand and easily caught the foot in midair. The Saiyin leader gaped and blinked. 'But, but that's impossible,' he thought, not used to being defeated. 'I put all my energy into that kick!' Trunks just smirked. In a sudden streak of gold, he shot up high into the air. Hesitantly (and much slower), the Saiyin invaders followed.  
  
Soon, high high above the ship, all 20 invaders began a furious onslaught of kicks and punches on the gold newcomer. Trunks easily dodged them all, this only causing the Saiyins to become more infuriated. They were soon all breathing heavily, but continued to throw kicks and punches toward the center of the pack. Suddenly they all stopped. The strange newcomer had somehow disappeared!  
  
Far below them, Trunks smirked. Having taken advantage of their confusion, he had prepared his father's famous attack. The Saiyins turned with shocked expressions as he threw it. "BIG BANG ATTACK!" In a matter of moments, not a single black haired Saiyin was left in the sky.  
  
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Even farther below, on the ship, huge crowds had gathered. The people thought they were watching fireworks as a huge explosion appeared from what seemed like nowhere. The senshi raced forward, preparing to henshin, but stopped as they saw only one figure left- a gold haired figure descending from the sky.  
  
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ o~  
  
Fully aware of everyone's eyes on him, Trunks landed in one of the last open spaces on the deck (where he probably would have landed anyway)- beside Usagi. He powered down and his gold hair returned to lavender. He saw the guards racing forward and turned to her for what he knew to be his last moments of freedom.  
  
"Gomen nasi, Usagi, I should have told you," he said as tears streamed down her face. "My tousan was Vegeta, crown prince of Vegeta-sei."  
  
He willingly held out his arms as he was tied up and led away, leaving a heart broken Usagi behind.  
  
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AN: Well, that's it. Trunks's secret is out, but not the way he intended it to be. Some of you may be asking why he's being tied up if he just helped them. Well, you gotta remember that Saiyins and Lunarians are big time enemies, and neither trusts the other. Anyway, people really couldn't tell if he was helping them from below. For all they know, he could have told them to come back with more people.  
  
  
  
Also, be sure to check out my new fic "When you can cry no more": Crystal Tokyo is destroyed by androids. Protected by her mother and guardians, Chibi Usa is the only one to escape. But fate has a plan for the young princess... and sometimes you have to go back to the past to find it... It should be good. Please read it!  
  
  
  
Be a good reader and REVIEW. Domo arigato.  
  
Until next time, Ja ne! 


	11. The Legend

AN: Ah, yes. The explanation. You may have heard this story before if you read my mini-fic "A Tale From the Moon". Enjoy!  
  
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Her pillow was soaked. Her face was streaked. Her eyes were red from so many tears, but still they came freely.  
  
'Trunks- a Saiyin . . . the enemy. Maybe he was even there when they killed Daddy. How could he not tell me? But, then again, how could he tell me?' Fresh tears began pouring fourth as she buried her face in her pillow once more.  
  
  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Go away," came the muffled reply from against the pillow. Instead, the handle turned and someone entered.  
  
Usagi looked up, wiping some tears off her face, but more continued to flow. "Kaasan, why? Why did it have to be him?"  
  
The silver-haired queen came and sat down on the beside beside her daughter. "Bunny, I'm sorry. Was he a friend of yours?"  
  
Usagi practically flung herself into her mother's arms for comfort. "Kaasan, you don't understand. He was the *one*. He was so kind and so sweet; you would never guess that under all that he somehow belonged to such a brutal race. Why, Mother? Why did it have to be this way? Why are we enemies?"  
  
"Oh, Usa," said her mother, giving Usagi a slight squeeze. "You know why."  
  
"Then tell me again. Let us say that I have forgotten."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
Usagi gave her mother a pleading look. "Very well. It began long, long ago, before time began . . . "  
  
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"In the beginning, there was nothingness. Only darkness and chaos. [Not to be confused with Chaos, but this is how most mythology stories begin. With chaos.] The darkness ruled everything, but everything was nothing, for nothing could survive in its evil rule.  
  
Then one day, the light appeared. At first it was just a glimmer, but slowly it grew and grew, driving back the darkness. The darkness tried to fight it, wanting to rule all once more, but the light would not yield.  
  
Eventually, things began to form where the nothingness had been and the light had touched. Slowly stars and planets began growing in the sky. At that time there were no moons; even our own had not yet entered existence.  
  
At that time, all the planets and all the stars had what we today call a Guardian. Every star and every planet had one and only one. This Guardian was one with the planet or star; born when it was born, free to move as it moved, died when it died. Some say the Guardians looked like the species that would later in habit their planet (Ex: Namek, Saiyin, Vesuvian, Plutarian, etc.); some on Earth called them gods. We may never know for sure.  
  
But as I was saying, EVERY planet and EVERY star to ever enter existence had one. For example, in our solar system, [Since the planets are all Roman gods, I'm using their Greek equivalent for the Guardians.] Apollo was Guardian of the Sun, Hermes of Mercury, Aphrodite of Venus, Gaia of Earth, Ares of Mars, Zeus of Jupiter, Cronous of Saturn, Uranus of Uranus [oh well], Posideon of Neptune, and Hades of Pluto. But that is not all. Long ago, our solar system had another member. His name was Orpheus and he resided between Mars and Jupiter.  
  
  
  
Anyway, mostly the Guardians kept to themselves. Occasionally they might chat with one another, but that was all. But our solar system was special, for here something rare and special happened: Orpheus and Gaia had fallen in love. Since the planets were not yet in orbit around the sun and could move freely, Ares/Mars moved out of the way to allow Orpheus to be near his love, Gaia. Their planets were so close that it would have been fatal if humans had lived on them. Their love blossomed and grew, seeming to light up the whole solar system and the whole galaxy, and some even say the whole universe.  
  
But there was still darkness. New emotions had been forged in the Guardians' hearts. Jealousy. That was the dark cloud hovering over Vegeta- sei. Later, Gaia gave birth to the first and only child of the Guardians. She was a beautiful child with long silvery hair and crystalline blue eyes. Her mother named her Selene. She was a wonderful child who cared little for herself and only wanted peace and happiness throughout the universe. And since the Guardians were one with their planets, when Selene was born, a new 'planet' came into existence- a piece of Earth and a piece of Orpheus forged together- the Moon. Our Moon. The White Moon.  
  
But the jealousy of Vegeta, Guardian of Vegeta-sei, had reached a peak. Enraged, he formed into his hands a huge ball of energy, as large as an asteroid they say, and threw it at Orpheus. Even from thousands of miles and light-years away, it did much damage. First, Orpheus was thrown back to his original spot between Jupiter and Mars from the force of the impact, and a few moments later, his entire planet, along with himself, exploded. To this day, his remains drift through space between Mars and Jupiter- the asteroid belt.  
  
Gaia mourned for countless years. Some say the her tears flooded the whole Earth. Even as she mourned, on Earth and on all the planets, living things began to appear. Humans began to walk, as did countless other species and races throughout the universe.  
  
After an immeasurable amount of time, Gaia went from mourning to vengeance. She cursed Vegeta and all his Saiyins. She cursed them that every time and any time they looked at her daughter-planets, they would transform into hideous monsters. (Unfortunately, Vegeta was able to manipulate this curse to make his people stronger, though still uncontrollable nor able to change at choice).  
  
  
  
  
  
The traditions continued for hundreds of years. To this day, Saiyins and Lunarians are still enemies, perhaps the greatest enemies of all the universe. After all, could two peoples be more opposite? In both appearance and attitude, they are black darkness and we are light. They are constantly at war; all we want is peace. We are known for our innocence and kindness; they, for their arrogance and cruelty.  
  
You must be mistaken, Bunny. Do not waste your time on him. I doubt Saiyins can ever love anyone but themselves. Do not let him fool you! He has been playing with your emotions."  
  
  
  
She looked down at her daughter and gave her a tight squeeze. "I don't want him, or any of them, to hurt you. I couldn't bear to loose you, too. You understand, don't you, Bunny?"  
  
Usagi slowly nodded, and her mother smiled and stood.  
  
"There now," she said as Usagi slowly climbed into bed, "I don't want you to loose sleep thinking about him, Bunny. I'm sorry I rushed this on you. I won't announce anything- not tonight or even tomorrow. Not until you're sure. Someday you'll meet the man of your dreams, and you'll just know he's the one for you. Someday."  
  
She kissed her daughter on the forehead and quietly exited the room as Usagi began a restless night.  
  
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AN: Thus ends the last chapter before the finale. Why is Queen Serenity so biased against Saiyins? Well, don't forget that they killed her husband.  
  
And just to let you know, that whole legend was loosely based on scientific fact. Some scientists believe that there was another planet near Earth when the planets were new, and slammed into Earth creating the Moon. The other moons are mostly just asteroids pulled into orbit, and none are as spherical as ours. I couldn't remember what the other planet was called, but I knew it started with an O, so I called it Orpheus (he was also a dude in mythology). Just some background info.  
  
And I'm posting the legend also as a separate fic with more info in it. The finale is a song-fic. Guess what song. Til next time, Ja ne!  
  
~Calli-chan 


	12. There is some Love that will not go away

AN: Yipee, Horray! The much-awaited finale!!! I must say that I think this is the best chapter I have written and is my favorite. It is a song-fic, like I said, to the Titanic theme "My Heart will go on" by Celine Dion. How fitting. I don't own that song or the movie, they belong to their producers and peeps like that. I tried to italicize the song lyrics, but for whatever reason, it didn't always work. Dunno why, but I tried! ^^;;

Also, I have a hunch some of you will be disappointed because of what you've been asking for. Gomen, but it had to happen. The sequel will be more to your liking.

This last chapter is extra long so enjoy! "..." is talking, '...' is thought, [...] is AN, (...) is extra info but part of the fic, ... means trailed off, -- means interrupted. 

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_Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you, That is how I know you go on_

Usagi tossed and turned in bed. Pictures of *him* kept invading her mind and dreams. The first time they saw each other, though it was just a glance. The night he saved her from her fall. Their first kiss- it was so wonderful. His concern for her safety as the Saiyins came. 

'Oh how could he belong to such a ruthless race? He was so kind and sweet and caring and . . . Had he been playing with my emotions as Mother said? Was he faking his kindness the whole time? Why would he do this to me?' 

Suddenly Usagi sat straight up in bed as the truth dawned on her: No matter what race he belonged to or where he came from, he loved her and she loved him. That was all that mattered. It was as her mother had said: "Someday you'll meet the man of your dreams and you'll just know that he's the one for you." Well that someday had already come. Trunks was the one. She quickly got up and tiptoed out of her room. 

Far across the distance, And spaces between us, You have come to show you go on 

Through many corridors and halls, down countless flights of steps, she ran. Down . . . down to the very bottom, the very base, of the ship. Here was mostly cargo and storage.

But in the corner, she saw it. A faint light in a small room, formerly used for locking up precious goods. It seemed to draw her forward. Before she knew what she was doing, she slowly tried to turn the handle of the door. It didn't budge. 

But there was a noise inside. Usagi pressed her ear close to the heavy door to listen. First there was the scraping of a chair across the ground. Then someone seemed to respond. "Huh? Who's there?"

Usagi almost squealed with joy. "Trunks, Tru-chan, is that you?"

There was a noise that sounded very much like the chair toppled over. The reply was half angry, half overjoyed. "Usa-chan, what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep while you were locked up. Can you open the door?"

"No, I'm tied up, but . . . hold on . . ." Usagi heard what sounded like the ripping of many cords and the tearing of rope, perhaps even the snapping of chains. She chuckled. Only Trunks.

"There, that's better. Now, let's see. Nope it's locked. Want me to blast it?"

"No, no wait on that. I doubt it would work anyway since these doors are built to stand up to stuff like that. Hold on, I'm gonna try something."

Usagi placed her hands on the handle and concentrated. Her mother had the full Ginzuishou, but Usagi had been given a small piece to train with. [a.k.a. the Moon Prism that Usa has before she remembers the Silver Millennium.] She closed her eyes. 'Please, Ginzuishou, grant my wish. Let me see me love.' Her hands became surrounded by a silvery aura and in a matter of moments the door opened with a faint click. Usagi practically flew into the room and into Trunks's arms, sobbing.

After a few moments, Trunks looked down at her.

"You sure you really want to be here?" he asked. "I mean, do you know who I am? You know what I am?"

"What does it matter that you are a Saiyin, Tru-chan. Our races have been enemies simply because of a feud that happened hundreds of years ago. Why can't we just forget the past and move on to a brighter future?"

Trunks broke apart and looked down at the floor. "It's time I tell you all my secrets, Usa-chan."

"You mean there are more?"

"Only one. When I first arrived here, I had three major secrets that I knew I must keep hidden. One was that I am a prince. Two was that I am a Saiyin. Three was that . . . . . . well, see . . . . . . three was that I- I am from the future."

Usagi gasped and stepped backward, tripping over the toppled chair. Using his Saiyin reflexes, Trunks caught her before she hit the ground. 

"But . . . but how?" was all she could say.

Trunks smirked. "My mom's a genius. When our time was ruined by androids, she decided to send me to the past before they came, so that I could warn the fighters there and they could prepare. That way, maybe their future would not also be ruined. But something went wrong. I found myself here. My time machine broken, perhaps beyond repair, and I am stranded here. With you." 

"But . . . but what about Setsuna, Sailor Pluto, Guardian of the Time Gates?"

"Setsuna? Sailor Pluto? I don't know what you mean."

"Well she --"

BOOM!!!!!!! [hehehe, like my sound effects.] There was a huge explosion from somewhere far above and the whole ship shook violently. Both were thrown apart, the light flicked out, and Trunks just managed to keep the door from closing and locking them in. 

"What was that?" asked Usagi after regaining her balance. The ship continued to shake, though not as violently as the first time. 

Trunks's face was grim. "Saiyins. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of them. I can sense their powers. None are Super Saiyin or anywhere near, but with so many..... And there's something else. Several strange powerlevels; I've never sensed anything like them before." He grabbed Usagi's hand. "Come on! We've got to get up on deck!"

o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go on, Once more you open the door, And you're here in my heart, And my heart will go on and on

They climbed the last few steps and looked out at the horror scene before them. The once beautiful deck had become a battle field. Bodies of helpless innocents were everywhere, all dead. And high above, the twinkling stars were hidden by hundreds and thousands of dark haired Saiyins, all with tails and the same devilish grin on every face. 

The force field was broken. Some Saiyins were blasting through the halls, looking for innocents still in their rooms. There were seven sailor senshi (Pluto not yet arrived) near the front of the ship, helplessly trying to battle the Saiyins. 

Usagi turned and almost screamed. There on the right of the ship was the evil Queen Beryl of the Negaverse, surrounded by a host of her youmas, all battling Queen Serenity. The four Negaverse generals, looking bored, headed over to the already weakened sailor senshi and began blasting them as well. She watched, helpless, as her great friend and protector, Mercury, fell. "Iie . . . . . . . ." she said, not accepting the truth. "NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

The anger was bubbling over inside Trunks as well. "Okay, enough watching," he said. "They need my help." He powered up and was about to take off when Usagi grabbed his hand. 

"Please, Tru-chan, let me help. I can fight."

"Iie, Usa-chan. You have given me something in my life that no one can ever take away. You have shown me that life does not have to be all fighting. I can't risk losing you. Promise me that you won't interfere, no matter what."

"I promise," came the barely audible reply.

He smiled and kissed her. "Thank you. Ai shiteru, Usa-chan. Always you will be in my heart. Always and forever."

"Always and forever," she echoed as he took off and powered up to SSJ to try to distract the Saiyins. She watched him anxiously and didn't even see Neptune fall and Uranus scream in agony. "Always and forever."

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Love can touch us one time, And last for a lifetime, And never let go till we're one 

The Saiyin force had split in half. Half went towards the senshi and half went towards Trunks. A few others continued to roam the halls. The senshi had it slightly easier than before, but they were already greatly weakened. A Saiyin threw a small ki blast at Venus, and she fell (more from exhaustion than the blast).

"Finish her off!" Zoicite yelled to Nephlite.

Nephlite hesitated. He couldn't hurt her. She was too sweet, too innocent. Those few moments he had spent with her had truly opened his heart. He couldn't kill her. Not now.

"Fine, I'll do it myself," yelled Zoicite when Nephlite didn't move. Zoicite gathered up a huge orb of dark energy and threw it at the fallen Vesuvian Princess. She screamed and was thrown into the air, but even before she hit the ground, her life had flown from her body.

"Iie," muttered Nephlite. "Iie . . . . ."

He didn't see, nor did he care, as the combined attacks of Mars and Jupiter hit him. His body fell to the ground, cold and lifeless. The first fallen Negaverse general.

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One by one, the sailor senshi were slowly and steadily falling. Mars was next. Hotaru had had enough. She held up her glaive. "SILENT WALL!"

"Saturn, you won't have enough energy left," said Jupiter, as the din of battle was suddenly silent around them.

"I'll be . . . ::huff:: alright. Must . . . ::huff:: help," panted the small girl.

"Enough!" yelled Uranus. The wall fell, but there was little assault against the three remaining senshi. The four, now three, generals had given their Queen a break as they battled Serenity-sama. Beryl was chatting almost casually with a furious Endymion, as Serenity destroyed Zoicite, enraging Malachite. 

And the strange golden-haired Saiyin boy was fighting all the Saiyins at once (now only little more than half the original number), and . . . surprisingly . . . holding his own. Saiyins were dropping like flies around him. The senshi got into their fighting stances as several Saiyins on the outskirts of the battle noticed them and charged.

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"What are you doing, Beryl?" screamed Endymion at the evil Queen. "This ruthless massacre wasn't part of the plan!"

Beryl smiled innocently and twirled a piece of hair on her finger. "No... not the *original* plan. It was the Saiyins' idea. They wanted to kill the Lunarians. So I said ok. Why? Don't you like it?" Beryl put on her best puppy dog face and tried to look cute. [Um, no.]

"Enough games!" replied Endymion. "This is insane! Call off your soldiers! Stop this meaningless battle!"

"Oh, it's not meaningless, Mamo-kun. This is a battle between two races that have been enemies for who knows how long. Truthfully, I'm just here for the show... and to make the show go a little faster." 

She pushed up her sleeves. "Excuse me now, I think I see someone that I need to destroy." Beryl jumped high into the air, but no matter how much Endymion screamed, he could not make her come back. 

He turned and caught sight of what Beryl had seen: Usagi-hime standing alone and unprotected by the wall. "NOOOOO!!!!!!" he screamed, running toward her.

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Usagi stood alone, hiding as much as she could. She wanted to scream out every time she saw one of her senshi, her greatest friends, fall. But she couldn't. She wanted to fight, to help them. But she couldn't. She couldn't break her promise. 

She anxiously watched Trunks, not noticing Beryl until it was too late. The evil Queen had gathered a ball of negative energy into her hands, and threw it at the oblivious princess. 

She turned as she heard Endymion scream. "NOOOOO!!!!!!" He threw himself in front of her. The force of the impact threw them both against the wall. Endymion fell, on top of Usagi. [A bit OOC for Mamo-baka, but oh well. ::sigh:: No bashing. Gomen. It'll have to wait till the sequel.]

Her body ached, but she slowly got up, shaking his body. "Endymion? . . . Endymion?? . . . . . . . Mamoru?" There was no reply. "He's . . . he's dead." She looked up at Beryl. The Negaverse Queen seemed frozen in shock. Suddenly her face turned to that of pure hate.

"YOU KILLED HIM!!! YOU KILLED MY LOVER!!!!!! I WILL TEACH YOU TO PAY!!!!!!!"

Usagi's eyes widened as she watched the originally small orb grow. It was the size of a basketball . . . the circumference of a hula-hoop . . . bigger than a bed . . . bigger than an elephant! Still it continued to grow.

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Love was when I loved you, One true time I hold to, In my life we'll always go on 

Trunks turned just in time to see the huge ball of negative energy leave Beryl's hands. He screamed, a horrible piercing scream. 

Using the speed only known to Super Saiyins, he flew in front of Usagi and shoved her out of the way. [He didn't even bother to control his strength when he pushed her, so let's just say she almost hit the other end of the deck.] 

He turned just in time to see the huge orb and hundreds of Saiyin blasts aimed at him before they hit. The force of the impact pushed Trunks far across the deck. But the power . . . . . . Anyone within a hundred feet was killed instantaneously. Even Usagi, who was much farther away, felt like she herself was being blasted and lost even more energy. Everyone on the ship felt it. 

Legend claims that throughout the galaxy and even the universe, all paused as it hit. Good and evil alike paused and looked up, just in time to see the mighty young warrior fall. His body hit the ground not far from where Usagi was. She crawled towards him and kneeled in front of his almost lifeless body.

"Tru-chan," she whispered, tears spilling down her face. "Tru-chan!"

He groaned and looked up into her crystalline eyes. "Usa-chan."

"Tru-chan, why? Why did you do this?" Tears were pouring like rivers out of her eyes.

"Ai shiteru, Usa-chan. Always and forever," he said softly, breathing heavily.

"I-I can heal you. Please let me heal you!"

"Always and forever?"

"Al-Always and forever," Usagi sobbed.

"Usa-chan, you don't have enough energy left to heal me. Live, Usa-chan, live on. Live a happy life. Live until you are old and weary. And then, maybe one day, we will be together again. In Paradise. Where there will be no wars, no hate, and both our races will be happy together. One day."

"Tru-chan," Usagi whispered, silent tears soaking her face. "Don't leave me Tru-chan. I need you. I love you. Always. Always and forever."

Trunks's voice was raspy. "Al- Always and for- forever." His eyes closed and he breathed his last.

Queen Beryl slowly got to her feet (she had fallen after putting all her energy into the blast). "WHAT?!?!" she screamed as she saw the Princess. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU? AHH!!!" 

The evil Queen threw ball after ball of negative energy at the young princess. Usagi did not turn. She made no effort to defend herself. She was barely aware as life left her body and it fell forward onto Trunks's chest. [Think of how she falls on Mamo-baka after she discovers she is Moon Princess and passes out.] 'I'll be joining you sooner than you thought, Tru-chan.'

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_Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go on, Once more you open the door, And you're here in my heart, And my heart will go on and on_

Queen Serenity screamed as she saw her daughter fall. "Enough!" she said. She held her hand over her heart, over her crystal, and prayed. 'Ginzuishou, please grant me the power to destroy my enemies. No matter what the cost.'

A silvery aura surrounded her. Her eyes snapped open, grim and determined. "FINAL SILENCE!!!" A great blanket of silvery light shot out of all sides of her body and soon covered the ship. All evil under it immediately died. Beryl screamed and tried to flee, but even she was caught. 

Soon the silvery light faded into little more than a twinkling mist, revealing all the loses of battle. Queen Serenity fell, her energy almost completely drained. Luna and Artimes ran to their Queen from their hiding spot, as the sun peaked its yellowy face over the horizon. The dawn of the Millennial Year.

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Sailor Pluto, eternal Guardian of the Time Gates, opened a portal and stepped through. She gasped at the horror scene before her and clutched her staff for support. "I was too late... again." Queen Serenity groaned, opened her eyes, and looked up at the distressed senshi. She smiled. Pluto ran to her and knelt by her side, grasping her hand. 

"My Queen, forgive me." 

The Queen just smiled. "It's all right, Setsuna. If you had come, you would have been killed with all the rest. You have other responsibilities as Time Guardian. After all, if you were killed, who would be there to protect the past and future and all times and dimensions?"

Setsuna muttered something that sounded like "Cronous", but out loud she only said "Did the Saiyin boy cause this?"

"Iie," replied the Queen. "Actually, he helped. Beryl and the Negaverse and a multitude of other Saiyins invaded and we were helpless. He and the senshi were the few able to fight, but it did not take long for them all to go down, too. I remember glancing at the remaining senshi- Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn. Jupiter was killed as a ki blast and an orb of negative energy hit her already weakened body. Uranus threw herself in front of a blast meant for Saturn. Saturn couldn't take it. She used her mightiest attack and destroyed half the Saiyins, unfortunately destroying herself as well. And the Saiyin, Trunks . . . . . . . he saved my Usagi, even though it only delayed her death." 

The Queen wiped away a tear. "Tell me, Setsuna, what happened to the other kingdoms- from Mercury to Pluto, and my home. What happened to the Moon?"

The Time Guardian sighed. "Several hosts of Saiyins, such as the ones Trunks first destroyed, were sent out. They were sent to find the Selenity, but also to destroy the kingdoms of the Alliance. They did just that. They destroyed the planets- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the Moon. They are all no longer habitable. All the royal families on all the planets and all the moons were killed. The survivors are only a handful of peasants from each planet, and they are all fleeing to Earth, the one planet untouched by this destruction." [because of Mamo-baka's alliance with Beryl, but they don't know this.]

The Queen sighed and wiped away another tear. "So many innocent lives. Yes, I must do it," she said, as though finally deciding something. She placed her hand over her crystal again, and suddenly all the bodies were surrounded in a silvery aura. That aura hardened to become a hollow crystal.

"My Queen?" asked Pluto.

Queen Serenity opened her eyes. "I cannot stand this, Setsuna. I am sending everyone . . . EVERYONE . . . to a new and happier future. Saiyins first," she said, as the Saiyin corpses rose into the air and floated away. "They will start a new life on Vegeta-sei. Hopefully, it will be a happier, prosperous time for them." 

She then turned to her feline counselors. "Luna, Artimes. My good friends and trusted advisors. You will be sent to the future with everyone else here. The passengers and lesser members of court killed will never remember this time. But I need you to reawaken the senhsi. The senshi of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon. I believe the Outer senshi will have other aids. The senshi of the lesser moons will not be reawakened unless you are in dire need. You will remember little of this time until you find my daughter and reveal her true identity as Moon Princess. Unfortunately, the Negaverse will be reincarnated in your time as well. There is nothing I can do to prevent this, but you must fight them." The lunar cats nodded and bowed. 

"Goodbye, my friends, I will miss you greatly," she said as they were encased in cages and rose, with the other crystals, into the air.

"You will be greatly missed, Serenity-sama," Luna called back. "Thank you for everything."

The Queen smiled. "You may not see me, but I will always be there, watching over you." The crystals floated away to a new life on Earth. "Goodbye, my Bunny," the Queen whispered softly.

One crystal remained. The Queen turned to Setsuna. "So Trunks *is* from the future?"

Setsuna nodded. "Indeed he is. He used a time machine and was able to pass beyond the gates without my consent. He was sent to warn friends in another time, but somehow his machine malfunctioned and he was brought here."

"Would you call it fate or just pure coincidence?"

Setsuna sighed. "Well, your majesty, in his case I believe it was fated that he would come to this time. And meet your daughter."

"Then they really did love each other, didn't they?"

Pluto slowly nodded and the Queen sighed. "Their future looks grim. Usagi is needed in her new dimension and Trunks is needed in his own... and that of his friends. It would be impossible to love across dimensions. Therefore, for their own happiness, I have modified everyone's memories. To the senshi, there was never an SMS Selenity. They were in a part on the Moon when Beryl attacked. Usagi will only remember loving Mamoru. And all the senshi and Mamoru will only remember the same."

"Trunks," the Queen said gesturing, as his crystal rose into the air and floated away. "Will remember nothing of the Silver Millennium. His life will soon continue where it left off; he will arrive in his friends' dimension to warn them. I need you to guard him, Setsuna. Watch over him as he travels through time. I will use my remaining energy to recreate his machine for him to arrive in in the future, but then I will die."

Setsuna looked like she was about to interrupt, but the Queen continued. "No, Setsuna. Return to the Time Gates; you are needed. I will stay here. It is my last wish." Setsuna silently nodded with a pained look in her eyes, and opened a portal and stepped through. 

She glanced back, and the Queen managed a smile. "Watch over Trunks, my good and faithful friend, and please, keep my Bunny safe." Setsuna nodded and bowed and disappeared. 

The Queen closed her eyes and breathed her last. Her body became a shimmering mist, and soon the entire ship, too, became nothing more than a cloud of twinkling silver mist. It floated up, high in the sky, to the Moon.

Many say the Moon glowed brighter the next night than ever before. Tsukino Usagi sat by her window, staring up at it. She had always felt connected to that Moon, even before she learned she was Sailor Moon. [Hasn't yet remembered past or become princess.] But there was always someone else. Her memories were like a dense fog, and she could she little. But why . . . . . . why did she always remember lavender?

Trunks was back in the future, staring at the same bright Moon. He had warned Goku and soon the androids would come to their time. But this Moon seemed to call him and calm him. It was so bright and so beautiful. 

When he was younger, he would have transformed as he stared at it, but one day that did happen and Gohan had been forced to cut off his tail. Now he was safe. But that Moon . . . . . . . . Gold. Why was it always gold? Something . . . something very special to him. A promise? He shook his head. What was he talking about? He knew his past- all too well. It was all death and fighting. He left the window, still wondering. 

_There is some love that will not go away._

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AN: ::wipes away a tear:: And so it ends. 

Or does it?

Any Titanic fanatic should know that that is not the end of the song. There is another verse (well not really a whole verse) about being reunited. Look for the sequel!! It is already up, called "Always & Forever".

I really liked writing this fic and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Domo arigato for all your dedication to this fic and please review one final time.

May your days always have joy; and your nights, serenity.

~Calli-chan, signing off


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